CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR: Maratha activist Manoj Jarange on Tuesday launched a fresh indefinite fast, his sixth in a span of over a year, to press for the demand for reservation to his community under the OBC category.He launched the stir from midnight at his native Antarwali Sarati village of Jalna district, around 75 km from here.Addressing reporters before his agitation, Jarange accused the Maharashtra government of not giving reservation to the community deliberately, and said that Marathas were giving “one more chance” to Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to fulfil their demands.Jarange has been demanding implementation of the draft notification that recognises Kunbis as ‘sage soyare’ (blood relatives) of Maratha community members and granting reservation to the latter under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.He said he also wants cases registered against several members of the Maratha community during his agitation earlier to be withdrawn.”The Maratha community is important to me, but the government is not giving reservation deliberately. Moreover, they say that we are speaking a political language. I will not speak a political language now, but this is one more chance for Deputy CM Fadnavis,” he said.”My community doesn’t want to enter politics. The government should pass an ordinance that Marathas and Kunbis are the same. Correction should be made in the ordinance passed in 2004.The notification of ‘sage soyare’ should be implemented immediately. Certificates should be given to whoever demands it on the basis of the issued certificates. The gazettes should be taken by the state and the offenses should be withdrawn,” he said.The leaders who support Fadnavis should talk to him.The community is watching who is going to provide reservation.Later, nobody should blame me for any consequences, Jarange warned.This is his sixth indefinite fast since September 1 last year, when police had lathi-charged protesters at Antarwali Sarati.He said the government should consider the gazettes of Satara, Bombay and Hyderabad in order to provide reservation to the community.”Students who are filling forms (for admission to educational courses) from the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) category are being removed without any reason. This should be stopped.All three options of EWS, OBC and Socially and Economically Backward (SEBC) should be kept open. The Maratha community candidates will choose one of them,” he said.In February this year, the Maharashtra legislature unanimously passed a bill providing 10 per cent reservation for the Marathas in education and government jobs under a separate category, but Jarange has been firm on his demand for a quota to the community under the OBC head.
Source link
