Maratha activist Jarange-Patil’s health deteriorates on day 5 of hunger strike

MUMBAI: Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange-Patil, who began his hunger strike on February 10, has been intravenously administered medicines after his condition deteriorated on Wednesday, a government doctor who examined Jarange-Patil said as the indefinite hunger strike entered its fifth day.

The activist’s health has deteriorated and has reported nose bleeding attributable to the hunger strike, said the government doctor, who visited him for a routine checkup.

Jarange-Patil went on hunger strike on February 10 to press his demand that a law be enacted along the lines of the draft notification issued by the state social justice department last month to provide Kunbi certificates to the Maratha community.

The draft notification was issued on January 27 following chief minister Eknath Shinde’s announcement on the issuance of Kunbi certificates to 57 lakh Marathas who have records of Kunbi antecedents. Shinde also said Kunbi certificates would be provided to blood relatives of Marathas with Kunbi antecedents, based on affidavits filed by those with Kunbi records.

Kunbi is a sub-caste of Marathas that receives reservation benefits under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota. Using this as grounds, the Maratha activist has pressed for reservation from the existing OBC quota.

When he called off his march to Mumbai on January 27, Jarange-Patil made it clear that they would get the draft notification scrutinised by legal experts. He and his team have subsequently made it clear that they wanted some changes to the text and threatened to stop Prime Minister Narendra Modi from campaigning in the state for the Lok Sabha elections if their demands weren’t accepted.

“There is a feeling of having been cheated by the state government… We and even Jarange-Patil have realised that the draft notification was not on the lines of our demand…. There is a bandh being observed in many villages in almost all the districts of central Maharashtra,” said Sanjay Lakhe-Patil, state coordinator, Maratha Kranti Morcha.

Jarange-Patil’s threat to stop PM Modi, however, has angered leaders of Maharashrta’s ruling coalition. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Union minister Narayan Rane hit back at the activist for crossing the red line. “Manoj Jarange-Patil has started babbling out of his unstable mind. I do not consider him a Maratha leader. He has crossed his limits by announcing not to allow Hon. Modi to tour Maharashtra. He will be shown the real strength of Maratha even if he moves from his place during Modi’s tour. Do not cross your limit...,” Rane said in a post in Marathi.