Parbhani Shuts Down in Support of Manoj Jarange Patil on Sixth Day of Hunger Strike
Shops remained closed and normal daily activities came to a halt across several areas of Maharashtra's Parbhani district on Thursday, following a district-wide shutdown call issued by the Sakal Maratha Samaj. The widespread shutdown was organized in support of Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil, whose ongoing indefinite hunger strike at Antarwali Sarati entered its sixth day on Thursday.
According to news agency IANS, visuals from across Parbhani district showed commercial establishments and shops completely shut, leading to a standstill in routine life across multiple localities. Jarange Patil has been staging the hunger strike to demand concrete action on Maratha reservation, alongside the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to eligible members of the Maratha community.
Meanwhile, serious concerns have continued to mount regarding Patil’s physical condition as the indefinite hunger strike progressed. According to reports, his health has been steadily deteriorating during the demonstration, and he reportedly vomited at the protest site. In spite of his worsening medical state, Patil has remained steadfast and firm on his reservation demands.
Patil also refused to undergo a medical examination when doctors approached him on Monday. Reports stated that a medical team arrived directly at the Antarwali Sarati protest site, attempted to wake Patil, and sought his formal permission to conduct a health check-up. However, the activist reportedly indicated with his hand that he did not want to undergo the examination.
One of the attending doctors stated that Patil repeatedly refused to undergo the examination, despite medical personnel making several requests to check his blood pressure along with other essential health parameters.
The agitation also spilled over to key regional transit routes on Wednesday, when several Maratha protesters blocked the Dhule-Solapur National Highway at Wadigodri in support of Patil. According to reports, demonstrators staged the sit-in after learning that Jarange's health condition was deteriorating.
Visuals of the road blockade surfaced online, showing several protesters sitting and lying on the road in support of Patil. The protest severely disrupted vehicular movement along the stretch, causing several vehicles to come to a halt, with visuals capturing long queues of stranded traffic. Demonstrators participating in the blockade were also seen holding photographs of Patil and raising slogans in his support.
