Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil on Saturday, 30 May launched an indefinite hunger strike at Antarwali Sarati in Maharashtra, escalating pressure on the state government to fulfil long-pending reservation demands for the Maratha community. The fast began at 10:00 am after a government delegation failed to break the deadlock in talks held the previous day.

What Triggered the Fast

A high-level Maharashtra government delegation — comprising Cabinet Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and MLC Prasad Lad — met Jarange Patil on Friday in a session lasting nearly one-and-a-half hours. The talks ended without resolution after Jarange Patil pressed the minister on two key issues: the Hyderabad Gazette and the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates. He declared he would no longer extend deadlines to the government, and commenced his fast the following morning.

The 10-Point Demand List

Jarange Patil has placed a 10-point charter of demands before the Maharashtra government. Key among them are: immediate issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to all Marathas in the Marathwada region, with a deadline set before 29 May; Government Resolutions for the princely states of Satara, Kolhapur, Aundh, Pune, and Miraj on the lines of the 1994 framework; unconditional withdrawal of all police cases registered against Maratha protestors across Maharashtra; and guaranteed government jobs in Mahavitran and the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) for families of those who lost their lives during the agitation.

He has further demanded immediate resumption of all welfare schemes under the Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Research, Training and Human Development Institute (SARATHI), disbursement of pending financial allocations from state development corporations, caste validity certificates for those already holding Kunbi certificates, dissolution of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Maratha Reservation — which he called ineffective — and the creation of a dedicated, independent ministry for the Kunbi and Maratha communities. He also called for an extension to the Justice Shinde Committee to facilitate further verification of historical records.

Government Response and Political Moves

Following the failed Friday talks, Minister Vikhe Patil and MLC Lad reportedly held a crucial briefing with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Minister Patil subsequently left Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to meet Jarange Patil again, this time reportedly carrying an official letter of assurance from the government. While there are indications the government may offer a written draft accepting some demands, Jarange Patil has made his position unambiguous.

'We will accept the draft, but the government must issue direct orders to bureaucratic officials. The main issue is that official drafts often fail to reach ground-level administrative officers. Our primary demand is that 58 lakh people must be given Kunbi certificates along with caste validity,' he said at the commencement of his fast. He added that any official failing to provide these certificates should face suspension on the Chief Minister's order.

Solidarity Across Maharashtra

As the fast entered its first day under scorching summer heat in Antarwali Sarati, support has poured in from across the state. In Kolhapur, members of the Sakal Maratha Samaj staged a demonstration at the feet of Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj, demanding that the Kolhapur Gazette be considered for the reservation process on par with the Satara Gazette.

What Comes Next

With Jarange Patil refusing to stand down and temperatures rising, all attention is fixed on the second round of government-activist talks. Whether the state can produce an executive order — rather than a mere draft — that satisfies his demands will determine how quickly this standoff is resolved. This is not Jarange Patil's first hunger strike on the Maratha reservation issue, and each previous episode has ended only after direct government intervention at the highest level.