Mathadi workers shut APMC market to support Jarange-Patil’s hunger strike

Navi Mumbai: In a bid to strengthen the ongoing agitation for Maratha reservation, spearheaded by activist Manoj Jarange-Patil, mathadi workers (head loaders) from the community have shut down the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) market in Vashi on Friday. This shutdown resulted in the temporary closure of transactions in the onion, potato, spice, grain, and fruit markets overseen by the committee.

The mathadi workers then assembled at Maratha Bhavan in Navi Mumbai at 10am to bolster the movement and demanded early resolution of the issue. Their top leaders, including former MLC Narendra Patil of BJP and MLC Shashikant Shinde of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), who lead the mathadi union, addressed the meeting demanding Maratha reservation at the earliest.

“We support the demand for Maratha reservation. The mathadi community also extends support to the indefinite fast undertaken by Manoj Jarange-Patil,” said Shinde and added, “Besides Jarange, there are hunger strikes being undertaken all over the state. It is time the state government took a decision on the reservation issue.”

Patil, whose father, Mathadi leader late Annasaheb Patil had formed the union, said, “It was in the 1980s that Annasaheb Patil first raised the demand for reservation for Marathas on economic grounds. He sacrificed his life for the community. This movement is again gaining momentum and hence we are supporting it by shutting the wholesale markets.”

On leading the protest, despite being from the ruling party, Patil said, “Mathadi interest comes first for us before party affiliation since my father’s time. He was a Congress MLC and yet protested at the time against the then government. I have protested against the wrong policies when in NCP as its MLC and hence now despite being the chief of an important Mandal and BJP worker, if the government is not paying heed to our Maratha community demand, we will join the protest.”

Castigating Dalit activist Gunratna Sadavarte, whose vehicle was vandalised on Thursday for opposing the reservation demand, Narendra Patil said, “Sadavarte needs to be treated for the itch that he has of creating hurdles in the demand. He has been inciting the community. Hopefully, he has learnt his lesson now.”

Patil concluded, “I hope the state government will resolve the issue soon as delayed decisions will be of no use.”