Maratha Quota Activist Manoj Jarange Patil Continues Hunger Strike, Demanding Kunbi Status โคfor Marathas
Mumbai – Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil’s indefinite hunger strike entered its fourth day โon Monday, escalating pressure on the Maharashtra state government to address longstanding demands for reservation. Patil is demanding โคthe immediate issuance of a Government Resolution (GR) recognizing all Marathas in the Marathwada region as Kunbis, aโฃ historically agrarianโ community eligible for Othre Backward Class (OBC) benefits.โ
The core of the dispute centers on the โclassification of Marathas and their access to OBC โquotas. Patil also seeks kunbi certificatesโค for Marathas listed under the Hyderabad and Satara gazettes, extending to those under the Aundh and Bombay โขgazettes. This demand aims to broadenโฃ eligibility for OBC reservations, a move with notable implications โfor educational and employmentโ opportunities for the Maratha community. The state government is currently assessing the legal validity of โคextendingโข kunbi status based on these past gazettes.
On Monday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknathโ shinde, along with Deputy CMsโ Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis, convened a meeting at Varsha, the Chiefโฃ Minister’s residence, to deliberateโค on the legal ramifications of Patil’s demands. โ Attendees includedโค Advocate General โคBirendra Saraf and Radhakrishna โVikhe-Patil,โ the BJP minister leading the cabinet โsub-committee taskedโ with evaluating the issue. The meeting focused on โwhether granting kunbi statusโ to Marathas based on the Hyderabad and Satara gazettes would withstand legal โchallenges.โ
The ongoing protest reflects a renewed push for Maratha reservation, a politically sensitive issue in Maharashtra. The government’s response in the coming days โwillโข be crucial in determining the trajectory of the movement and its potential impact on the state’s socio-political landscape.