Manoj Jarange to call off hunger strike, vows fresh push for Maratha reservation

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange announced he would break his indefinite fast on Thursday as he decided to adopt a different strategy for pushing the reservation demand.

Jarange and 104 other activists, including women, launched the indefinite hunger strike on January 25 demanding the reservation for Marathas under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

In addition to his quota demand, Jarange has sought capital punishment for those involved in murdering Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, who was abducted, tortured and killed on December 9, 2024 "I have decided to withdraw fast on Thursday as I have decided to adopt a different strategy moving forward. The government should clarify whether it intends to grant the Maratha community reservation," he said on Wednesday night.

Jarange accused Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of misleading the Maratha community.

"I asked Fadnavis to clarify his stand by the evening, but he remained silent. My fast was meant to expose those who truly support the cause and those who do not.

"I will not let the CM rest. The Maratha community now knows who is at fault. After coming to power, Fadnavis deceived Marathas and kept mum on the reservation issue, but I will not spare him," Jarange said. He said Santosh Deshmukh's brother Dhananjay had requested him to end his fast, fearing that the fight for justice in the case would be sidelined.

Earlier in the day, Jarange refused to take intravenous fluids even as his health deteriorated on the fifth day of the fast, officials said. Jarange had some water on Monday night after a request by locals. On Tuesday also, after a request from Santosh Deshmukh's family, the activist agreed to drink water.

However, he has refused to take intravenous fluids despite repeated requests, as per health officials. Jarange has been demanding the implementation of the draft notification that recognizes Kunbis as sage soyare' (blood relatives) of Maratha community members for granting reservation to the latter under the OBC category.

This is his seventh indefinite fast since September 1, 2023, when police lathi-charged protesters at Antarwali Sarati. In February 2024, the Maharashtra legislature unanimously passed a bill providing 10 per cent reservation for the Marathas in education and government jobs under a separate category.

(Except for the headline, nothing has been changed by AINN in the PTI.)