Mumbai journalist bodies allege harassment of women reporters at Jarange Patil’s Maratha quota protests, warn of boycott

They also warned that unless urgent action is taken, media organisations in Mumbai may be forced into a coordinated boycott of the coverage of Jarange Patil’s hunger strike at Azad Maidan, which entered its fourth day Monday.

In a formal note, the Mumbai Press Club said it “deplores repeated incidents of harassment, misconduct, and indecent treatment faced by women journalists and other media professionals while covering Manoj Jarange Patil’s ongoing protest in Mumbai”.

“We thank Mr Jarange Patil for taking cognisance of this issue but urge him and his leadership team to ensure discipline, accountability, and above all, the safety and dignity of all journalists covering the movement,” the note said.

The Press Club stated that press freedom, safety, and dignity are non-negotiable in a democracy and called for immediate and stringent action against those responsible.

The TV Journalists Association submitted a letter to Jarange Patil, expressing deep dissatisfaction over the misconduct faced by media representatives, particularly women.

The body said reporters and cameraperson performing their duties at the protest site have been subjected to verbal abuse, intimidation, and harassment by Jarange Patil’s supporters.
“If immediate corrective steps are not taken, and if media representatives are not assured safety and dignity, Mumbai’s entire media fraternity will be left with no choice but to boycott coverage of the protest,” it said.

Reacting to the ongoing harassment, Uday Jadhav, president of the TVJA, expressed shock at Jarange Patil’s response after receiving the complaint from the journalist bodies.

“We submitted a letter highlighting the harassment faced by both female and male reporters and requested him to instruct his supporters to restrain. Shockingly, he told us that ‘we are guests here and should adjust for a few days’. How can such a statement be justified? His supporters are molesting and harassing women journalists, and instead of protecting them, he is asking us to tolerate it,” Jadhav said.

He noted that while Jarange Patil claimed to have instructed his workers to behave, the reality on the ground is that the activists have become uncontrollable and refuse to listen.

Why Jarange Patil is on hunger strike

Jarange Patil has been insisting that the state government issue a resolution stating that all Marathas in the Marathwada region should be recognised as Kunbis. He demands that all Marathas listed in the Hyderabad and Satara gazettes be issued Kunbi certificates to qualify for the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota. Additionally, he requests that Kunbi status be granted to the Aundh and Bombay gazettes as well.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Cabinet sub-committee sought additional time to examine the matter, and Jarange Patil urged more supporters to attend in large numbers in Mumbai.

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