Maratha reservation: Jarange Patil's fast hits Mumbai's nerve centre

Quota stir slows trading floors and boardrooms, echoing a decades-old battle for Maratha reservation

South Mumbai, the city’s prime business district and home to the headquarters of top Indian firms, government agencies, and financial institutions, is facing disruptions due to Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil’s agitation.

 

Major firms and regulators, including Reliance Industries, the Reserve Bank of India, BSE, Tata group, and State Bank of India, are based in South Mumbai. Many companies have asked employees to work from home.

 

Vijay Kalantri, president of the All India Association of Industries and chairperson of the M Visvesvaraya Industrial Research and Development Centre in Mumbai, said at least 35–40 per cent of commercial activity in the area has been affected because of heavy traffic and poor employee attendance, even at banks.

 

 

Several multinational firms, such as McKinsey & Company, Blackstone group, HSBC India, DP World, Warburg Pincus, and Wells Fargo, also have offices in South Mumbai, particularly in Nariman Point and Fort, the areas most impacted by the agitation.

 

“Business and trade are affected because all the commercial and banking transactions happen in South Mumbai. Some people are working from home. But not everything can be done remotely,” Kalantri said.

 

South Mumbai is also a hub for luxury fashion retail, with brands like Sabyasachi, Pernia’s Pop-Up Shop, Le Mill, Ogaan, and Clove The Store operating outlets in Nariman Point, Fort, and Colaba. The area hosts landmark hotels too, including Taj Mahal Palace (Indian Hotels Company), Trident and The Oberoi (Oberoi group), and the InterContinental (Graviss Hospitality). 

 

Jarange Patil, 43, has been on a hunger strike since August 29 at Azad Maidan, a 25-acre ground near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT). He is demanding reservation for the Maratha community under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. His supporters have blocked traffic in South Mumbai since Friday, leading to massive disruption for office-goers.

 

The state government has formed a Cabinet sub-committee on the Maratha quota, led by Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Minister of Water Resources (Godavari & Krishna Valley Development Corporation). Maharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis has said the government is exploring legal options to resolve the issue.

 

The agitation has slowed traffic across Azad Maidan and around CSMT, disrupting local train operations and BEST bus services.

 

Traffic police have closed all roads leading to CSMT and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. The stretch from Mantralaya to Marine Drive has also been shut. Vehicles travelling via the JJ Flyover into South Mumbai are being rerouted near the police commissioner’s office towards Metro Junction or Churchgate railway station.

 

“Expect slow traffic and occasional disruption tomorrow morning while commuting towards South Mumbai due to the ongoing agitation. Keep following directions at traffic junctions to minimise inconvenience,” Mumbai Police posted on X.

 

Jarange Patil has vowed not to leave Mumbai until his demands are met. His fast-unto-death entered its fourth day on Monday.

 

The Maratha community’s demand for reservation has a long history spanning three to four decades, but the current agitation gained momentum in September 2023, when Jarange Patil alleged that police in Antarwali Sarathi in Jalna district — part of drought-prone Marathwada — lathi-charged his supporters during a protest, allegedly on the orders of then deputy CM Fadnavis.

 

Originally from Maharashtra’s Beed district, Jarange Patil has become the leading face of the Maratha reservation movement. Founder of Shivba Sanghatana, he has been campaigning for Maratha inclusion in the OBC category.

 

In January 2024, Jarange Patil and thousands of supporters marched towards Mumbai for a mass agitation. Before they reached the city, then CM Eknath Shinde met him in Vashi and agreed to his demands. Jarange Patil ended the strike after the government announced a draft ordinance on OBC reservations in education and jobs. 

 

In February 2024, the community was granted a 10 per cent quota under the Socially and Educationally Backward Class Act. A petition challenging the reservation is pending before the Supreme Court.

 

Accusing the government of failing to keep its promises, Jarange Patil resumed his campaign. On August 27, 2025, he set out from Jalna towards Mumbai with thousands of agitators, with more joining him along the way. 

The Bombay High Court on Monday evening observed that the agitation had brought the city to a standstill, noting that the protest was neither peaceful nor in line with agreed conditions. The court urged the restoration of normalcy and gave an opportunity to Jarange and his supporters to clear all streets by Tuesday noon, according to PTI.

 

The matter is set to be heard again on Tuesday (2 September).