<p>Mumbai: From doing multiple jobs like working in a hotel to a sugar mill, Manoj Jarange Patil - over the last two years - has emerged as the face of the Maratha reservation campaign in Maharashtra. </p><p>Wherever Jarange-Patil goes, slogans like 'Ek Maratha, lakh Maratha’, ‘Chalo Mumbai’, “Manoj Dada….aage bado, hum tumhare saath hai’, ‘Patil, Patil, Patil’ rend the air.</p><p>Jarange-Patil, who dons simple white-shirt and white-trousers and saffron scarf has become an icon for the Maratha community. </p><p>The demand for the Maratha reservation dates back to 1982 with people like Annasaheb Patil, a stalwart of the Maratha community, leading the charge.</p><p>The issue flared up after the July 13, 2016 rape-murder of a Maratha girl at Kopardi in Ahmednagar district that fuelled the demand of rights of the community including capital punishment for the accused in the case and demand for reservation. </p>.After Maharashtra, will women voters emerge as game changers in Bihar Assembly elections?.<p>On August 9, 2016, the first protest organised by Maratha Kranti Morcha and Sakal Maratha Samaj was held in Aurangabad, now Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar.</p><p>Exactly a year later, on August 9, 2017, the massive morcha was held in Mumbai, the 58th in the series - and all the protests have been peaceful, faceless and leaderless.</p><p>But August 2023 was different when Jarange-Patil, the founder of Shivba Sangathana emerged as the face of the campaign and came to national limelight after the Antarwali Sarathi lathi-charge in Jalna district. </p><p>Two years down the line, he is one of the most revered persons in the Maratha community and several documentaries have been made on him besides a film 'Sangharsh Yoddha Manoj Jarange Patil' which was released in 2024.</p><p>In his forties, Jarange Patil hails from hails from Matori village in Shirur Kasar (now Georai tehsil) of Beed district, however, a few years ago, he shifted base to Ankush Nagar village of Ambad tehsil of Jalna district of Marathwada region, where he stays along with his parents, three brothers, wife and four children.</p><p>Reports said that Jarange-Patil is a 12th standard dropout and hails from a very humble background.</p><p>He owned four acres of ancestral land of which he sold off 2 acres to be able to work for the community, according to his friends.</p><p>The agitation of Maratha community led by Jarange-Patil had severe political impact as the BJP-led Maha Yuti suffered a setback in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls at the hands of Maha Vikas Aghadi, however in the subsequent Vidhan Sabha polls, the BJP managed to nullify it with populist schemes like Mukhya Mantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana. </p><p>Over the past two years, Jarange-Patil has kept scaling the demand and is now demanding that Marathas, who enjoy 10 per cent reservation, be given the reservation under 27 per cent OBC quota.</p><p>Once again, Jarange-Patil has put Maharashtra's political class to test. </p>
<p>Mumbai: From doing multiple jobs like working in a hotel to a sugar mill, Manoj Jarange Patil - over the last two years - has emerged as the face of the Maratha reservation campaign in Maharashtra. </p><p>Wherever Jarange-Patil goes, slogans like 'Ek Maratha, lakh Maratha’, ‘Chalo Mumbai’, “Manoj Dada….aage bado, hum tumhare saath hai’, ‘Patil, Patil, Patil’ rend the air.</p><p>Jarange-Patil, who dons simple white-shirt and white-trousers and saffron scarf has become an icon for the Maratha community. </p><p>The demand for the Maratha reservation dates back to 1982 with people like Annasaheb Patil, a stalwart of the Maratha community, leading the charge.</p><p>The issue flared up after the July 13, 2016 rape-murder of a Maratha girl at Kopardi in Ahmednagar district that fuelled the demand of rights of the community including capital punishment for the accused in the case and demand for reservation. </p>.After Maharashtra, will women voters emerge as game changers in Bihar Assembly elections?.<p>On August 9, 2016, the first protest organised by Maratha Kranti Morcha and Sakal Maratha Samaj was held in Aurangabad, now Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar.</p><p>Exactly a year later, on August 9, 2017, the massive morcha was held in Mumbai, the 58th in the series - and all the protests have been peaceful, faceless and leaderless.</p><p>But August 2023 was different when Jarange-Patil, the founder of Shivba Sangathana emerged as the face of the campaign and came to national limelight after the Antarwali Sarathi lathi-charge in Jalna district. </p><p>Two years down the line, he is one of the most revered persons in the Maratha community and several documentaries have been made on him besides a film 'Sangharsh Yoddha Manoj Jarange Patil' which was released in 2024.</p><p>In his forties, Jarange Patil hails from hails from Matori village in Shirur Kasar (now Georai tehsil) of Beed district, however, a few years ago, he shifted base to Ankush Nagar village of Ambad tehsil of Jalna district of Marathwada region, where he stays along with his parents, three brothers, wife and four children.</p><p>Reports said that Jarange-Patil is a 12th standard dropout and hails from a very humble background.</p><p>He owned four acres of ancestral land of which he sold off 2 acres to be able to work for the community, according to his friends.</p><p>The agitation of Maratha community led by Jarange-Patil had severe political impact as the BJP-led Maha Yuti suffered a setback in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls at the hands of Maha Vikas Aghadi, however in the subsequent Vidhan Sabha polls, the BJP managed to nullify it with populist schemes like Mukhya Mantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana. </p><p>Over the past two years, Jarange-Patil has kept scaling the demand and is now demanding that Marathas, who enjoy 10 per cent reservation, be given the reservation under 27 per cent OBC quota.</p><p>Once again, Jarange-Patil has put Maharashtra's political class to test. </p>