World Connect News
Maratha quota agitation leader Manoj Jarange-Patil has officially called off his 20-day indefinite hunger strike after extensive negotiations with a Maharashtra state ministerial delegation at Patoda in Beed. The activist announced a temporary pause in his agitation, granting the state administration a strict 90-day (three-month) window to implement key reservation assurances while putting his planned mass demonstration in Mumbai on hold.
Ministerial Breakthrough Halts Mumbai Chalo March
The high-stakes standoff eased after a state government delegation led by Cabinet Sub-Committee Chairman Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Minister Dada Bhuse, and senior legislators met Jarange-Patil early morning. The activist, whose health had severely deteriorated during his march from Jalna’s Antarwali Sarati village, had planned to enter Mumbai during the ongoing Ganeshotsav festivities. Persuaded by government assurances and local spiritual leaders from Narayangad, Jarange-Patil agreed to accept medical treatment and urged thousands of supporters already camped along transit points to return home.
Core Demand: Kunbi Lineage Recognition Under OBC Quota
At the center of Jarange-Patil’s campaign remains the streamlined issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to eligible Marathas, allowing them access to reservation benefits under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. The activist reiterated that the state must provide written guarantees that approximately 58 lakh historical archival records (nondi)—including the Hyderabad, Satara, and Aundh Gazettes—will be formally recognized by caste validity committees without bureaucratic delays.
90-Day Clock Ticks for Maharashtra Administration
While the immediate confrontation in Mumbai has been averted, Jarange-Patil issued an explicit warning that the truce remains conditional. The government has committed to a structured timeline to address legal reviews and gazette notifications, while Jarange-Patil indicated that if no concrete progress materializes within the 90-day period, the agitation will directly resume on the streets of Mumbai.