Fast on until reservation offered to Maratha community: Jarange

On a day of hectic developments, Jalna-based activist Manoj Jarange-Patil who has been on hunger strike for a fortnight expressed willingness to withdraw from the fast-unto-death agitation but will not leave the protest site until the Maharashtra government starts issuing Kunbi caste certificates to the Maratha community from the Marathwada region.

From Tuesday, which was the 15th day of  agitation of Jarange-Patil - who is the founder of Shivba Sanghatana - he started taking medicines after a gap of nearly three days.

The development comes a day after an all-party meeting presided over by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde appealed to Jarange-Patil to withdraw the fast even as it unanimously expressed commitment to ensure reservation to the Maratha community. 

He also gave one month's time so that the state-appointed committee prepares its report over the Maratha reservation which comes as a major relief to the Shinde-led BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP dispensation. 

"The government is positive regarding the Maharashtra reservation. An all-party meeting was called and the government took suggestions on the Maratha reservation from them. I will talk to them and a decision will be taken accordingly,” Shinde said in Jalgaon.

During the day two ministers - Sandipan Bhumre and Uday Samant and the government’s emissary Arjun Khotkar met Jarange-Patil and urged him to withdraw the fast in view of the positive steps taken by the administration. 

In a related development,  Shiv Pratishthan leader  and Hindutva activist Sambhaji Bhide met him in Jalna. “We are with you…you are on the right path. This campaign must end with the grant of reservations, there is no looking back now…However, I appeal to you to  withdraw your hunger strike,” urged Bhide.

Jarange-Patil has requested Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers to come to the Antarwali Sarathi village on Dhule-Solapur road in Jalna - where the protest is on - and hold discussions  and also sought the present of Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhosale of Satara and Yuvraj Sambhaji Chhatrapati of Kolhapur - the two 13th descendants of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.