Activist Manoj Jarange has announced that he and his supporters will march towards Mumbai from September 15 and begin an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan on September 19, renewing the Maratha quota agitation in Maharashtra.
Jarange made the announcement on Saturday at a press conference in Antarwali Sarati, where his ongoing agitation has entered its 15th day. The fresh mobilisation comes amid the Ganpati festivities in Maharashtra, scheduled from September 14 to 25.
Why Is Jarange Marching To Mumbai?
At the centre of Jarange’s latest agitation is the demand for reservation for the Maratha community in jobs and education.
One of his key demands is for the Maharashtra government to issue a Government Resolution (GR) allowing Marathas to claim
the reservation available to the Kunbi community under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, based on old records and gazette documents.
Jarange has also accused the state government of failing to implement his gazette-related demands and of not issuing caste certificates on the basis of 58 lakh Kunbi records.
“We will take this issue to Mumbai. This is the final fight and not a single Maratha should remain at home,” Jarange said.
The demand, however, faces strong opposition from OBC groups, who fear that extending the benefits available to the Kunbi community to Marathas could affect their share of reservation benefits.
When Will The Mumbai March Begin?
Jarange said the march towards Mumbai will begin on September 15. The protesters will cover around 100 kilometres each day and halt at designated points along the route.
According to the schedule announced by Jarange, the protesters will halt at Patoda in Beed on September 15, Srigonda in Ahilyanagar district on September 16, Hadapsar in Pune district on September 17 and Khopoli in Raigad district on September 18.
They will then camp at Khoparkhairane in Navi Mumbai before proceeding towards Mumbai.
The indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai is scheduled to begin at 10 am on September 19.
Jarange Appeals For Peaceful Protest
Jarange urged his supporters to maintain peace throughout the agitation and asked them not to engage in stone-pelting or arson.
“We have to continue the agitation peacefully until we return from Mumbai with reservation for our community. No one should resort to stone-pelting or arson,” he said, adding that vehicles should be driven properly and protesters should follow the code of conduct.
He said the movement would be conducted through democratic means to press for the community’s demand.
Appeal To Fadnavis Over Police Action
Jarange also appealed to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis not to create hurdles for the protesters.
“Fadnavis should not stop the Maratha community and I believe he will not do that,” Jarange said.
He added that if police attempted to stop the protesters with barricades, agitators should sit on the roads without touching the barricades, and instead find an alternative route to reach the protest site.
Jarange further said that if protesters were stopped, responsibility for such action would lie with Fadnavis.
Why Is The Protest Significant?
Jarange’s latest Mumbai mobilisation comes after his hunger strike in the city in August-September last year, when parts of Mumbai, including areas around the sprawling Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), were brought to a standstill.
The renewed protest also comes as the Maratha quota issue remains contentious because of opposition from OBC groups to extending Kunbi-related reservation benefits to Marathas.
On Friday, the Bombay High Court declined to pass any urgent order on a petition seeking to stop Jarange’s fresh protest in Mumbai. The court observed that every person has the right to protest and that a restraining order could not be issued merely on the apprehension of a law-and-order problem.
What Does Jarange Want?
Jarange’s central demand remains reservation for the Maratha community in jobs and education. He is seeking a government resolution that would allow eligible Marathas to access reservation available to the Kunbi community under the OBC category, relying on historical records and gazette documents.
With the march beginning on September 15 and the indefinite hunger strike scheduled for September 19, Jarange is now taking the quota agitation back to Mumbai, describing the upcoming mobilisation as the “final fight” for the community’s reservation demand.
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