CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR: Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange on Monday appealed to scholars to put forth their suggestions in writing before the government for a strong law on the reservation issue.The 40-year-old activist on Saturday called off his indefinite fast for the quota after the Maharashtra government accepted his demands, with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announcing that till Marathas get the reservation, they will be given all benefits enjoyed by the Other Backward Classes (OBCs).A draft notification was issued by the government following negotiations with Jarange, stating that blood relatives of a Maratha person, who has records to show that he belongs to the agrarian Kunbi community, would also be recognised as Kunbi.Kunbi, an agrarian community, falls in the OBC category, and Jarange, who is spearheading the agitation for reservation for the Marathas since last August, has been demanding Kunbi certificates for all Marathas.Jarange had set out on a protest march from his native Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district on January 20.The activist launched his fast at Vashi in Navi Mumbai, a satellite city of Mumbai, on Friday, in the presence of thousands of his supporters and later called it off after the government came out with a draft notification which fulfilled one of his key demands.While leaving for the Raigad Fort for his village in Jalna on Monday, Jarange said, “A law for the Maratha quota is underway. People have been asked to give their suggestions on it in the next 15 days. Scholars from the Maratha community should write their views and send them to the government.” “This will help to strengthen the law for Marathas. They (scholars) should not waste their energy in writing (their views) on social media,” he said.Jarange also said the Maratha community in Marathwada should not worry.
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