Jarange-Patil refuses to call off hunger strike, demands amended GR

Mumbai: Even after the government’s marathon midnight meeting with a Maratha delegation on Friday, Maratha activist Manoj Jarange-Patil has refused to call off his indefinite hunger strike. The farmer from Jalna is adamantly sticking to his stand, which is blanket reservation under the OBC umbrella for Marathas.

Jarange-Patil wants the government to issue Kunbi caste certificates to all Marathas without asking for Nizam-era documents. He has also demanded strict implementation of the government’s 2004 order, which mandates the issuance of Kunbi certificates to Marathas. The government has now decided to await a response from the Marathas and to not negotiate for two days since Jarange-Patil’s further demands are difficult to accept due to legal constraints.

On Saturday in Jalna, the Maratha activist, in the presence of the delegation, government mediator Arjun Khotkar and hundreds of community members, announced that the government had been holding talks but had not accepted any of their demands. “It should first issue a GR, announcing blanket reservation to us as Kunbis or the implementation of the June 2004 GR in letter and spirit,” he said. “Until then I will not call off my indefinite hunger strike.”

Jarange-Patil also criticised the government for not keeping its word on withdrawal of police cases against protesters and strict action against the police officers responsible for the lathi charge on September 1. “Not a single case has been withdrawn so far,” he said. “Some protesters are facing cases under sections like 307 (attempt to murder). The officers responsible for the lathi charge have been sent on compulsory leave or shunted out of the district despite the brutal act against innocent community members.”

The tone of the Maratha delegation appears to be more conciliatory. Balasaheb Sarate-Patil, a member of the delegation, said that the community’s demand was the issuance of Kunbi certificates to Marathas in central Maharashtra. “There are three clusters in the community as per the records—only Marathas, only Kunbis and Maratha-Kunbis,” he said. “Marathas cannot get reservations while Kunbis are already in the OBC category. Our fight is for the Maratha-Kunbis, who can get reservations. The government has been positive about chalking out procedures to issue Kunbi certificates to deserving community members. We understand that demanding blanket reservation for all Marathas is neither feasible nor legal.”

Sarate Patil, however, reiterated Jarange-Patil’s demand that the government should not insist on Nizam-era documents, which were difficult to source. “The official cut-off date for the OBC certificate is October 1967 so later documents should be accepted,” he said. “Once it is made clear in the fresh GR and there is also a firm assurance on the withdrawal of police cases against protesters, we will have no problem in calling off the protest.”

Government mediator Khotkar said that Jarange-Patil should consider withdrawing the agitation as the government had conceded all the demands that were possible. “The process for the withdrawal of police cases has begun,” he said. “Blanket reservation to the community will not stand up to legal scrutiny, but we have accepted the demand for strict implementation of the 2004 GR.”

Khotkar added that any decision taken in haste would prove counter-productive. “While staying the reservation given in 2014, the Bombay high court had pointed to the Rane Committee report and questioned how a committee could collate data in just 11 days and accord reservations on the basis of it,” he said. “We want to make the reservation foolproof.”

An official from the government said it was difficult for the government to further talk with the protesters. “It has done its best,” he said. “Jarange-Patil has been changing his statements and demands adamantly. The response he is getting for his protest is huge, and it is perhaps because of this that he has been putting forth unreasonable conditions. The delegation that met the CM on behalf of Jarange-Patil, however, was very positive and was of the opinion that the protest should be called off.”

The official, who was present in the meeting, said that the government discussed all the demands and points. “The CM and deputy CM listed before the delegation the difficulties in granting blanket reservation,” he said. “The delegation members also pointed out problems in getting Nizam-era Kunbi certificates. To this, the government reacted very positively and assured them that they would find a resolution.”

Protestors gherao Ashok Chavan in Nanded

Former chief minister Ashok Chavan on Saturday faced the heat of the Maratha protest in Nanded as a group of Maratha youths gheraoed him and resorted to sloganeering.

“They were all BJP and Bharat Seva Samiti workers who wanted to create a scene for political reasons. They hurled abuses and resorted to sloganeering,” Chavan said, adding that he has obtained names of the people who gheraoed him.