Maratha reservation activist Jarange appeals scholars to write to govt

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange on Monday appealed to scholars to put forth their suggestions in writing before the government for a strong law on the reservation issue.

The 40-year-old activist on Saturday called off his indefinite fast for the quota after the Maharashtra government accepted his demands, with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announcing that till Marathas get the reservation, they will be given all benefits enjoyed by the Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

A draft notification was issued by the government following negotiations with Jarange, stating that blood relatives of a Maratha person, who has records to show that he belongs to the agrarian Kunbi community, would also be recognised as Kunbi.

Kunbi, an agrarian community, falls in the OBC category, and Jarange, who is spearheading the agitation for reservation for the Marathas since last August, has been demanding Kunbi certificates for all Marathas.

Jarange had set out on a protest march from his native Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district on January 20.

The activist launched his fast at Vashi in Navi Mumbai, a satellite city of Mumbai, on Friday, in the presence of thousands of his supporters and later called it off after the government came out with a draft notification which fulfilled one of his key demands.

While leaving for the Raigad Fort for his village in Jalna on Monday, Jarange said, "A law for the Maratha quota is underway. People have been asked to give their suggestions on it in the next 15 days. Scholars from the Maratha community should write their views and send them to the government."

"This will help to strengthen the law for Marathas. They (scholars) should not waste their energy in writing (their views) on social media," he said.

Jarange also said the Maratha community in Marathwada should not worry.

"We have appealed to the government to consider the gazette of 1884 which has the census done (prior to it). People from the Marathawada region will get reservation for sure. They should remain tension free. In some villages, we have found that records have been burnt, so, we will appeal to the government to consider the records found in neighbouring villages," he said.

The committees formed at the taluka level to find Kunbi records should be activated and they should work for the same, he added.

Notably, Maharashtra minister and senior OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Sunday held a meeting at his official residence in Mumbai which was attended by OBC legislators, leaders, and others, and said protests will be held outside the residences of MLAs, MPs and tehsildars on February 1 against the state government's decision regarding the Maratha quota.

"The meeting passed a resolution to cancel the draft published by the chief minister on January 26. The second demand is to discontinue justice (retd) Sandeep Shinde committee (looking into Kunbi records of Marathas) because it is an unconstitutional body," Bhujbal said.

Asked about it, Jarange said, "Nothing will happen now. It is a gazette notification. Our intention is very clear, the OBCs will also benefit from this law. If anything wrong happens (on the quota issue), I will again go on a fast at the Azad Maidan (in Mumbai)."

The activist will stay at the foothills of Raigad on Monday and will reach the memorial of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj located at the top of the fort on Tuesday.