Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange began an indefinite hunger strike on August 29 at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan, demanding a 10% reservation for the Maratha community in government jobs. After five days of fasting, Jarange agreed to call off his protest following a breakthrough with the Maharashtra government on two major demands.
He declared the outcome a victory for the agitators who had been demonstrating for four consecutive days. The government accepted the primary demand of granting Kunbi status, an OBC category, to Marathas from the Marathwada region. Soon after, a government resolution (GR) was issued to implement the Hyderabad Gazette, which allows Kunbi caste certificates to be given after proper verification.
Historically, the Marathwada region was part of the Hyderabad State, where the Nizam-era Gazette recognised sections of the Maratha community as Kunbis, making them eligible for reservations in jobs and education. With the Maratha community forming over 30% of Maharashtra’s population, their social and political influence in the state remains significant.
In addition, Jarange stated that the government had assured the withdrawal of cases filed against protesters by the end of September. Families of those who lost their lives during the agitation would also receive compensation and government jobs within a week. Addressing his supporters after meeting with the Cabinet sub-committee, headed by Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Jarange proclaimed, “We have won.”
The committee further conveyed that legal steps were being examined to issue a GR declaring Kunbis and Marathas as the same community, though the process could take up to two months.
The agitation saw massive participation, with around 4,000 protesters joining Jarange at Azad Maidan on August 29, leading to severe traffic congestion in south Mumbai. Their demand was clear — a 10% quota for Marathas in education and jobs under the OBC category.
The issue reached the Bombay High Court, which remarked that the agitation had “literally paralysed” Mumbai. The court directed that the protest site be cleared by 3 pm on Tuesday. Tensions rose in the morning as police attempted to remove protesters, resulting in a standoff. However, later in the day, the court permitted Jarange to continue his protest at Azad Maidan until the morning of September 3.
