Maratha quota activist Manoj Garang Patel ended his indefinite hunger strike shortly after midnight on Sunday after State Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patel and BJP MLC Prasad Lad handed over a 12-point proposal addressing key demands related to the Maratha reservation.
Garang Patel began his ninth round of indefinite hunger strike at 10 am on Saturday in Antarwali Sarati, his native village in Jalna district of Marathwada district. This time, the protest was more intense, as he sat outdoors in the harsh summer sun with no shade.
Meanwhile, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who heads the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Maratha Reserve, held multiple meetings with officials from the Divisional Commission and discussed the developments with the political leadership.
Vikhe Patel and Lad have been stationed in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar since Friday. The government delegation met Garang Patel around midnight and presented a 12-point proposal. After due deliberation on the proposal, the quota activist ended the strike by drinking fruit juice at around 1:30 am.
Garang-Patel’s demands include Kunbi certificates for all Marathas based on 5.8 million Kunbi records found in the state, withdrawal of cases registered against protesters over the last three years, setting up a separate department for Marathas to address community demands, providing financial assistance to families of Maratha protesters who lost their lives during the agitation, and speeding up the process of issuance of caste validity certificates, among other demands. He also demanded a government decision to implement the Satara Lexicon, which records Marathas as Kunbis.
The state government delegation delivered a proposal to approve most of the demands. The government agreed to issue caste certificates to Marathas based on Kunbi records, hand over details of the 5.8 million Kunbi records to the activist, and expedite the process of issuing caste validity certificates. The government also agreed to deliberate on a government resolution on Satara gazetteer and setting up separate helplines in Mantralaya and district collector offices for issues related to reservation and issuance of certificates.
Addressing supporters who gathered in large numbers at Antarwali Sarathi, Garang Patel said the government had agreed to issue certificates based on the 5.8 million Kunbi records. “The records will be displayed in the panchayat offices. Divisional commissioners will supervise the implementation,” he said.
He also demanded that officials who failed to issue certificates be held accountable despite authenticity of records, and said the government should issue directions to the offices concerned.
“All the assurances we gave him were made publicly in front of people and the media. No assurances were given in secret or behind closed doors. Manoj Garang himself read the assurances we gave,” Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Sunday morning. Our government has consistently maintained the stance of ensuring justice for the Maratha community and action has been taken accordingly.”
Garang Patel will undergo a detailed medical examination at a private hospital in Chhatrapati Sambaginagar on Sunday. The activist’s health deteriorated due to dehydration caused by the protest under the hot sun. His blood pressure dropped, and he reportedly vomited two or three times.
