Maratha Activist Manoj Jarange-Patil Calls Off Agitation

In Mumbai, an arduous discussion that prolonged overnight, concluded with Maratha activist Manoj Jarange-Patil announcing his decision to withdraw his demonstration early Saturday morning. He added that he would no longer be heading to Mumbai, as the state government appeared to be not only acknowledging but also moving towards implementing his demands. News comes from the source of Reader Wall.

Seeking OBC Category Reservation

Patil had been demanding reservations in education as well as job sectors for his community under the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) category. To press the state government towards issuing a resolution on the Maratha quota issue, Patil had since Friday embarked on a fasting protest.

The activist had warned that he would march towards Mumbai if the Eknath Shinde-led government failed to meet the stipulated demands by Saturday morning.

Praise and Satisfaction for Government’s Response

Chief Minister Shinde met with Patil in Navi Mumbai on Saturday morning in response to his demands. In a symbol of acceptance, Patil broke his fast when the Chief Minister offered him a glass of juice. The pair then took part in a rally at Shivaji Chowk with Patil receiving the order from the government. They shared a ceremonial moment by garlanding the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj together.

Expressing satisfaction over the government’s response, Patil hailed CM Shinde for his timely intervention. He added, “Our request has been accepted. Our protest is now over. We will accept the letter from him.”

The Key Demand

The central demand of the agitation was the issuing of Kunbi certificates to roughly 5.4 million individuals, a demand that the state has now fulfilled. Celebrating the achievement, Patil added, “We will have to organize a large victory rally, more significant than the one in Antarwali Sarathi Jalna last year, for which a place and date will be declared soon.”

Prolonged Deliberations

A delegation was dispatched late on Friday night by Shinde after extensively discussing the demands with government officials. The delegation carried a draft ordinance addressing the activist’s concerns, which was later scrutinized by senior lawyers from the Maratha community.

Jarange-Patil had initiated a march to Mumbai on January 20 advocating for the reservation for the Maratha community. He was projected to reach Mumbai by January 26, but following the state government assurances, he opted to stay at Vashi in Navi Mumbai, giving the Shinde-led government 24 hours to issue relevant orders addressing his demands.