Maratha Quota Activist Threatens Fast-Unto-Death Over This Demand

Quota activist Manoj Jarange on Tuesday sought implementation of the Maharashtra government’s draft notification on Kunbi caste certificates for Marathas from Wednesday and warned of launching a fast unto death from February 10 if his demand was not met.

Talking to reporters, he said a special session of the state legislature should be called to convert the notification into a law to allow Marathas with Kunbi certificates to avail quota benefits in government jobs and education.

Just four days ago, Mr Jarange had ended his agitation after the government issued a draft notification stating that blood relatives of a Maratha person, who has records to show he belongs to the Kunbi community, would also be recognised as Kunbi.

An agrarian community, Kunbi falls in the OBC category, and Mr Jarange, spearheading the agitation for reservation for the Marathas since last August, has been demanding Kunbi certificates for all Marathas to enable them to avail quota benefits in government jobs and education.

“The notification must be implemented immediately. A special assembly session should be called to bring a law based on that notification. If the implementation does not start from tomorrow (Wednesday, January 31), then I will launch an indefinite fast from February 10,” the activist said.

Mr Jarange said he will launch a fast unto death from Antarwali Sarati village in central Maharashtra’s Jalna district from where he started his latest agitation for Maratha quota in August last year.

The state government has set February 16 as the deadline for seeking suggestions and objections on the notification of the draft of amended rules which included the word “sage soyare” (blood relatives) as demanded by Mr Jarange.

Mr Jarange said he has no confusion over the effectiveness of the notification, but was worried about different voices emerging from the government over the issue.

Without naming Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who has said he will even “approach Delhi” to ensure the existing OBC reservation framework is protected in the state, Mr Jarange said one person is talking about going to the national capital.

“We were not to make any statement till February 16. But we are talking now because there are two different statements from the state government and we have decided to be in an alert mode,” said the activist.

He was speaking to the media after paying respects to Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the Raigad Fort.

Mr Jarange maintained the decision on the notification has been taken in consultation with everyone concerned and the government should realise the Maratha community was for its immediate implementation and a permanent law on the quota issue.

He said police cases filed against Maratha protesters should be withdrawn by February 10.

“It has been noticed that the Shinde committee (panel headed by retired Justice Sandeep Shinde) is not functioning properly. We have yet not accepted the Hyderabad Gazette (for Kunabi records of Marathas) and even the process of handing out Kunabi certificates has not started. The government must accept the Census of 1884,” the activist said.

The committee has been set up to decide the methodology to issue other backward class (OBC) certificates to Marathas and find proof to establish them as Kunbis.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra State Commission for Backward Classes has extended by two days the deadline of an ongoing survey to collect empirical data to prove social and educational backwardness of the Marathas.

The survey was to get over by January 31, but now the deadline has been extended to February 2.

Data is being collected to be presented before the Supreme Court, where a curative petition on Maratha reservation filed by the Maharashtra government, is pending.