The BRICS TimesSenior ministers and officials, led by Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, held discussions with Jarange-Patil at Azad Maidan
Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil announced on Tuesday that the Maharashtra government has accepted the demands put forth by the Maratha community regarding reservation benefits. He confirmed that the ongoing protest at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai, where he has been on an indefinite hunger strike for the past five days, will be called off by 9 pm once the government formally issues the required orders.
Jarange-Patil stated that the government has agreed to implement the provisions mentioned in the Hyderabad and Satara gazettes, which recognize Marathas and Kunbis as part of the same community. The administration has also consented to enforce the “Sage Soyare” notification issued last year, which pertains to marital and blood relations. Jarange-Patil, who has long advocated that all Marathas in Marathwada be officially treated as Kunbis, cited historical precedent from the Nizam era to justify this demand.
Additionally, the government has agreed to withdraw all cases registered against Maratha protesters, he added. The announcement followed a meeting at Azad Maidan with a government delegation led by Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil. During the meeting, the delegation formally handed over a draft of the government resolution (GR), signaling the administration’s readiness to comply with the key demands of the community.
“We have received the draft GR, and a team of experts will review it within the next hour. Once it is approved, the government will issue the official resolution, after which we will decide on ending the protest. We want to ensure that the process proceeds smoothly, unlike the situation during the Vashi agitation in January 2024. After the GR is issued, I assure the government that Azad Maidan will be vacated by 9 pm tonight,” Jarange-Patil said, speaking alongside his supporters and community representatives.
According to him, the government has agreed to implement the Hyderabad gazette immediately, while a one-month timeframe has been requested for enforcing the Satara and Pune-Aundh gazettes due to some pending legal issues. Furthermore, the delegation consented to withdraw all remaining cases filed against Maratha protesters during the 2023 and 2024 agitations. In addition to this, the government has agreed to provide financial compensation to Maratha youth who lost their lives in the reservation movement and assured employment opportunities for their family members in the state transport sector and the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) on compassionate grounds.
Jarange-Patil also highlighted that, based on the state government’s database of 5.8 million Kunbi records, he had demanded the formation of taluka-level committees to streamline the issuance of Kunbi certificates. He emphasized the need for immediate action by caste validation committees to clear the pending certificates to ensure smooth implementation of the government’s resolution.
