CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR: On the seventh day of his ongoing indefinite hunger strike, Maratha quota activist Manaj Jarange’s health deteriorated further on Monday due to weakness as he struggled to speak. This has sparked concern among the Maratha community members as they have demanded a swift decision by the State Cabinet on the quota issue.
Jarange has been on hunger strike at his village, Antarwali Sarati, in Jalna district in support of his demand for reservation for the Maratha community from the existing OBC quota by way of the state passing a ‘Sage Soyare’ enactment.A large number of community members thronged Antarwali Sarati out of concern for Jarange’s health.
Activists accompanying Jarange at Antarwali Sarati said the state govt, worried over Jarange’s refusal to seek medical attention, has been working through direct and indirect channels to convince Jarange to call off the hunger strike.
The Maratha community has intensified its pressure on the govt by calling for an apt decision at the State Cabinet meeting likely to be held later in the day. Community leaders have insisted that the state must come to a favourable decision regarding the long-pending quota demand or face further agitation.
The protest has already seen widespread participation across the Marathwada region. In the past three days, various districts have observed bandhs, with Nanded district and Paithan tehsil of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar being the latest to join the protest on Monday.
The situation continues to escalate as OBC activists – Mangesh Sabale from Pune and Laxman Hake from Solapur – in an attempt to make their voice heard, are observing two independent hunger strikes at venues located close to Antarwali Sarati.
The OBC activists have been saying that the demands put forth by Jarange are unconstitutional and bad in law and have demanded that the state should abstain from recognising the entire Maratha community as Kunbi, which is recognised as OBC.