Mumbai braces for another day of Manoj Jarange-led Maratha protests
Mumbai braces for another day of Manoj Jarange-led Maratha protests
Manoj Jarange on Friday, threatened that over the coming couple of days, more people are likely to join the protest if the state government delays talks.
The Maratha rights activist Manoj Jarange-Patil-led protest on Friday brought the city of Mumbai to a near standstill. With Jarange’s indefinite hunger strke underway, the Maratha quota protests will entered their second day on Saturday, August 30.
Jarange began his hunger strike at Mumbai’s Azad Madan on Friday as part of his demand for all Marathas to be included under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category to receive benefits of reservation in government jobs and educational institutions.
Although, the Mumbai Police has granted permission to Jarange to continue the strike for one more day, the activist said that the protests will happen “whether you give permission or not”. He also added that it was in the “government’s hands whether to break up the protest or grant permission.
Jarange added that it’s not their job to have a dialogue with the government right now. They want to destroy the Maratha community. They don’t want to give them reservations. The government wants to ruin the Maratha community. If they can give a one-day permit, they can give a permanent one.
Thousands of supporters came to Mumbai to accompany Jarange for the protests, filling the city’s Azad Maidan to the brim and also taking refuge in nearby areas such as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSTM) and Churchgate railway stations.
Amidst the protest on Friday, Jarange said that the state government has not started talks with the activist and other protestors and threatened that over the coming couple of days, more people will join the protest. “I will not step back now. I am ready to take bullets for Maratha reservation. I will continue my hunger strike in jail, should they put me behind bars,” he said.
The Maratha activist also threatened on Friday that he will stop drinking water in the next two days if the delay continues from the government’s side to consider their demands.
Jarange also criticized the alleged lack of facilities for protestors in Mumbai and claimed that “tea shops, restaurants and toilets were kept closed”.“Even drinking water was not available. Is it being done deliberately? You are worse than the British…You did this to Marathas when they came to Mumbai. They will remember this when you come to our areas for programmes,” Jarange said as he sought to attack the state government.
Marathas from across the state came to join Jarange in the protest with full preparedness, including rations for as long as a month. “Ek mahine ka ration laya hai (We are carrying along a month’s ration),” said a 31-year-old farmer from Beed. “We are well prepared with food and a chulha to cook right here if needed. The sarkar (government) hasn’t done anything for us, but we can manage,” remarked another farmer who came to join the protest, reported Hindustan Times.
The protestors started pouring into the city on Thursday night from across the state, some even spending the night on flyovers before continuing their journey to join the protest. As rain hit the city on Friday afternoon when the protest was on, several sought shelter at CSMT, under the gates of the BMC headquarter, in bus stops and the steps of the yet-to-be-opened metro station. Some even wore raincoats to brave the downpour.
Coming to the aid of protestors, Navi Mumbai’s Sakal Maratha Samaj sought to provide essential services such as accommodation, water, food and more for those travelling from across the state to join the protests. Arrangements have been made at Vashi’s CIDCO Exhibition centre to host some 40,000 to 50,000 people. According to a coordinator of the organisation, the facility will remain operational for two to three days depending upon the needs of the protestors.
According to some people familiar with the matter, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has asked the state’s water resources minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, who is a Maratha himself, to reach out to Jarange and hold talks with him, Hindustan Times reported earlier. Following this, Vikhe-Patil reached Mumbai on Friday evening from Shirdi.
While departing from Shirdi for Mumbai, Vikhe-Patil said, they will consider Jarange-Patil’s proposal, although the meeting of the cabinet sub-committee (that is looking at the fine print of the reservation) has not been scheduled yet. Everything will be decided once I reach the financial capital.”
Earlier on Friday, Devendra Fadnavis said that amidst the previous term of the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra, Marathas were given
10 per cent reservation. He said that a cabinet sub-committee has been formed to consider the fresh demands raised by Jarange and his supporters. “We will have to find a legal solution as mere promises won’t do. We have directed the cabinet sub-committee to hold discussions with them (protestors) and then speak to us to resolve this as the two communities — Marathas and OBCs — should not come against each other. Some people are trying to escalate the situation and create animosity between the two communities.
News Edit KV Raman
