Manoj Jarange refuses to end hunger strike, threatens Mumbai protest after September 11

Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange on Thursday refused to call off his indefinite hunger strike and warned that he would take his protest to Mumbai if the Maharashtra government fails to fulfil his demands by September 11Jarange who has been on an indefinite hunger strike at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district for the past week said he would continue his fast despite assurances from a government delegation that met him on ThursdayHe also appealed to members of the Maratha community to begin applying for Kunbi caste certificates particularly where records supporting their eligibility have been identifiedGovernment delegation meets Jarange at Antarwali SaratiA government delegation comprising Ministers Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and Uday Samant MLC Prasad Lad and MLA Makarand Patil met Jarange on Thursday in an effort to persuade him to end or postpone his hunger strikeVikhe Patil appealed to Jarange to reconsider his decision in view of his deteriorating health and said the state government was committed to resolving issues related to the Maratha communityAccording to Vikhe Patil the government has traced around 58 lakh Kunbi records and would speed up the process of issuing Kunbi caste certificates to eligible applicantsHe said nodal officers would be appointed to monitor the process and address difficulties faced by applicantsHowever the discussions did not result in Jarange ending his hunger strikeJarange urges community members to apply for Kunbi certificatesFollowing the meeting Jarange appealed to members of the Maratha community to begin submitting applications for Kunbi certificates from September 4He specifically referred to records traced through the Hyderabad Gazette and urged eligible families to initiate the process of obtaining Kunbi caste certificates and validity certificatesKunbi an agrarian community falls under the Other Backward Class category and is eligible for reservation in government jobs and educational institutionsJarange has been demanding Kunbi certificates for eligible members of the Maratha community which would allow them to seek reservation benefits under the OBC categoryHe said applications could be made based on family relationships blood relations and clan links with individuals whose Kunbi records had been identifiedActivist asks applicants to approach collectors over difficultiesJarange said around 58 lakh Kunbi records had been identified and urged eligible families to begin the application process without delayHe also appealed to those facing difficulties in submitting their applications to immediately approach the district collector concernedThe activist said the process of tracing records and issuing certificates should move forward but maintained that the governments assurances were not enough for him to withdraw his protestDespite the meeting with the government delegation Jarange said he would continue his hunger strike until all his demands were acceptedI will not withdraw my hunger strikeI will not withdraw my hunger strike until all the demands of the Maratha community are accepted If Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde genuinely wants to support the Maratha community he should take a sincere and concrete stand and extend his support Jarange saidI will drink and take IV fluids but I will not break my fast he saidJaranges decision to accept water and intravenous fluids comes amid concerns over his health following several days of fasting However he has maintained that accepting medical support does not mean he is withdrawing his agitationJarange gives government September 11 deadlineLate on Thursday night Jarange issued an ultimatum to the Maharashtra government saying he would give it until September 11 to implement the demands of the Maratha communityHe warned that he would take the protest to Mumbai if the demands were not fulfilled within the deadlineThis is my last hunger strike My body will not support me anymore If I protest again I will die I will give you time until September 11 However if our demands are not implemented by September 11 I will go to Mumbai and protest on September 12 he saidWith inputs from PTI