Maratha Quota Stir Paused As Manoj Jarange Ends 20-Day Fast, Gives Govt 3 Months

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange on Thursday called off his 20-day hunger strike after talks with a Maharashtra government delegation, but warned that he would take the agitation to Mumbai if his demands were not addressed within three months.

Jarange made the announcement at Patoda in Beed district, where he had halted while travelling towards Mumbai. The government delegation included ministers Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and Dada Bhuse, MLC Prasad Lad, MLA Suresh Dhas and senior officials.

During the meeting, the government informed Jarange about the steps being taken on his demands. Vikhe Patil suggested that Jarange nominate three representatives to monitor the progress of the official process.

The minister said it could take around three to four months to act on the Kolhapur and Satara gazettes after receiving a written opinion from the advocate general. He urged Jarange to withdraw his hunger strike and allow the process to move forward.

Jarange, however, maintained that the government must provide formal recognition to historical administrative records, including the Hyderabad, Satara and Aundh Gazettes. He has been demanding their recognition to help eligible Marathas establish Kunbi lineage and seek reservation benefits under the OBC category.

He also sought a written assurance that no Kunbi record would be ignored and demanded that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis sign the document.

While ending the fast, Jarange said the government had three months to act. He warned that if the community was “betrayed”, supporters would move to Mumbai, including women and children. At the same time, he appealed to more than one lakh Maratha supporters who had already travelled towards Mumbai to return home.

Jarange had begun his latest agitation at Antarwali Sarati in Jalna and was scheduled to reach Mumbai on September 19.

The immediate march has now been halted, but the broader Maratha reservation issue remains unresolved, with the government facing pressure to demonstrate progress on the assurances given during Thursday's talks.