Jarange-Patil to Lead Maratha Quota March to Mumbai, Begin Hunger Strike Sept 19
Manoj Jarange-Patil will march to Mumbai from September 15 and begin an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan on September 19, pressing for Maratha job and education quotas.
Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange-Patil has announced that he and his supporters will set out for Mumbai on September 15 and launch an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan from September 19, pressing the demand for job and education quotas.
Speaking on Saturday, he laid out the route for the march, which will pass through Western Maharashtra. The first halt will be at Patoda in Beed district on September 15, followed by Srigonda in Ahilyanagar district on September 16. The third stop will be Hadapsar in Pune district on September 17, the fourth Khopoli in Raigad district on September 18, and the final halt Khoparkhairane in Navi Mumbai.
Jarange-Patil said the plan requires supporters to cover roughly 100 kilometres each day before reaching the scheduled stops.
Appealing for restraint, he urged demonstrators not to resort to stone pelting regardless of provocation from the other side, and asked them to keep the march peaceful. He also requested Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis not to place obstacles in the way of the protesters.
The activist has been on an indefinite hunger strike since August 29, demanding that Kunbi certificates be issued to Marathas on the basis of 5.8 million records. He has previously alleged that the government has not issued certificates in line with the Government Resolution granting the Maratha reservation, and has declined to validate the certificates that have been issued.