Maratha activist Manoj Garang Patel on Saturday began an indefinite hunger strike under the scorching sun without any shade at Antarwali Sarathi village in Jalna district, despite ongoing talks with the Maharashtra government over his demands and a written assurance late on Friday night that they would look into them.
Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patel approached Antarwali Sarathi to convince Garang Patel to call off the protest. However, the first round of talks failed to achieve a breakthrough, as the government sought more time to implement key demands. Garang Patel chose to sit in an open field under the scorching sun with food and water despite the minister’s insistence that he move his agitation to a safe place.
The Maratha activist is unhappy with the government over the delay in assurances and promises made during the hunger strike organized at Azad Maidan in Mumbai last year.
His major demands include implementation of the Hyderabad Gazetteer (1909) and the Satara Gazetteer to facilitate the issuance of Kunbi certificates to Marathas under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, setting up a dedicated ministry for the Maratha community similar to the OBC Welfare Department, issuing caste validity certificates like Kunbi to the Maratha community, among others.
“The state government should issue a Government Resolution (GR) to implement Satara Gazette and grant caste certificates and validity certificates to eligible applicants from the Maratha community. If the same is not granted, action should be taken against the officials concerned,” Garang Patel demanded.
This is the second meeting between the Maratha activist and the minister since Friday, as the state government intensified efforts to convince Garang Patel to withdraw his protest.
On Saturday, Vikhe-Patil, who also chairs the Cabinet sub-committee on Maratha sanctuary, handed over to Garang-Patil the draft of the government-initiated action on his charter of demands.
Vikhe-Patil, who was sitting with him, tried to convince him to move his protest to a safe place for the time being. “The government is making all efforts to meet all the demands made by Garang Patel,” he said, looking forward to more time to form a dedicated ministry in the state government for the Maratha community.
However, he expressed reservations about issuing a GR to implement the Satara Manual, saying it could lead to legal challenges. “Legal experts have asked the government to proceed with caution as the GRs issued for implementation of the Hyderabad lexicon have already been challenged in court,” Vikhe Patel said in Antarwali Sarathi.
