Manoj Jarange Holds Strategy Meet in Antarwali Sarati for Aug 29 Maratha Stir
Activist Manoj Jarange Patil held a meeting with experts and researchers on Sunday at his village, Antarwali Sarati in Maharashtra's Jalna district, to chalk out a strategy for the Maratha reservation agitation scheduled for August 29.
The meeting focused on demands previously submitted to the state government, their legal aspects, and the standard operating procedure issued by authorities. Speaking to reporters following the discussions, Jarange stated that the state government should acknowledge mistakes in existing government resolutions regarding the issue and make necessary amendments.
Discussions during the meeting covered the Hyderabad Gazetteer, government resolutions concerning concessions to Other Backward Classes (OBC), and other issues affecting the Maratha community. Jarange reiterated his determination to proceed with the planned agitation on August 29.
Experts at the meeting addressed administrative difficulties encountered while verifying blood, family, and lineage records. They suggested granting constitutional authority to village-level committees so that their recommendations are accepted by the administration. Jarange confirmed that the demand to confer constitutional powers on village-level committees would be formally placed before the government.
The participants also discussed the necessity of tracing records of Marathas whose names are not found in currently available documents across Marathwada. They called for amendments to validity-related laws, including provisions enacted in 2001 and 2012, and reviewed the issuance of Kunbi certificates to eligible persons based on documentation in the Hyderabad Gazetteer.
Jarange has led multiple agitations demanding that eligible Marathas receive recognition as Kunbis, an agrarian community entitled to reservation benefits in education and government jobs under the OBC category. Earlier this month, he accused the state government of attempting to weaken the movement by cancelling several Kunbi certificates.
The activist has launched nine hunger strikes since August-September 2023 to press for Maratha reservation under the OBC category. His most recent hunger strike began on May 30 and concluded the following day after the state government presented a 12-point proposal.
