Manoj Jarange Patil resumes fast today: Why the Kunbi certificate issue is back a year after Mumbai protest
A year after the government agreed to implement the Hyderabad Gazette process, Jarange says eligible Marathas are still waiting for certificates; the state says identifying old Kunbi records is only the first step
Jarange will begin his fast at Antarwali Sarati on Saturday, accusing the government of failing to implement the assurances given during last year’s agitation. (File)
Almost a year after Manoj Jarange Patil called off his Mumbai agitation following an agreement with the Maharashtra government on the implementation of the Hyderabad Gazette, the Maratha activist is preparing to go on an indefinite hunger strike again.
Jarange will begin his fast at Antarwali Sarati on Saturday, accusing the government of failing to implement the assurances given during last year’s agitation. He says applicants whose family links to historical Kunbi records have been established are still waiting for certificates and caste validity documents.
The government, however, says the process is more complicated. The discovery of an old Kunbi record does not automatically make every descendant eligible for an OBC certificate. Officials have to establish the applicant’s genealogical link to the person mentioned in the historical record.
What is the 58 lakh records issue?
The government has examined around 58 lakh historical records while implementing the process. These include records in which people have been identified as Kunbi, Maratha Kunbi or Kunbi Maratha.
For Jarange, the important question is what happened after these records were identified. He wants certificates to be issued to applicants who can establish their family connection to the records.
The government’s position is that the 58 lakh figure represents records examined, not 58 lakh individuals who can automatically be given Kunbi certificates. Each applicant’s genealogy has to be verified before the certificate can be issued.
This verification is being carried out by taluka-level committees headed by tehsildars. The government has extended the tenure of these committees until June 30, 2027 and asked them to prioritise pending cases.
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Why is Jarange unhappy?
Jarange says the process has moved too slowly despite the government’s commitment last year. He has alleged that applications are being refused or not accepted in some places and that applicants are being asked to produce additional documents even after their genealogical connection to an old Kunbi record has been established.
He argues that the government cannot point to the number of records it has found as proof of implementation when people who are supposed to benefit from those records are still waiting for certificates.
“I am talking about issuing certificates and not merely finding Kunbi records,” Jarange said after a meeting with ministers on August 24.
He subsequently gave the government August 28 as a deadline to resolve pending certificate and caste validity cases.
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What is the government saying?
The government has maintained that genealogy verification is necessary and cannot simply be bypassed.
On August 24, ministers Shambhuraj Desai, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and Uday Samant met Jarange at Antarwali Sarati and asked him not to proceed with the agitation.
Vikhe Patil acknowledged that there had been delays and mistakes in implementing measures relating to Maratha reservation and said the government would address administrative hurdles. He also said action, including suspension, would be taken against officials found deliberately creating obstacles.
But the government has not accepted Jarange’s interpretation that the discovery of 58 lakh records means certificates can be issued immediately.
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What happened last year?
Jarange’s previous major agitation began at Azad Maidan on August 29, 2025. He was demanding that eligible Marathas be recognised as Kunbis and brought within the OBC reservation framework.
The protest drew thousands of supporters and disrupted traffic in south Mumbai. After five days, Jarange withdrew the agitation after the government accepted six of his eight demands.
The government subsequently issued a Government Resolution on implementing the Hyderabad Gazette process. The process involved examining historical evidence and establishing genealogical links before granting Kunbi certificates.
Why is he protesting again?
The broad demand has not changed. Last year, the central question was whether and how the Hyderabad Gazette could be used to establish Kunbi status. This time, Jarange is arguing that the mechanism agreed upon by the government is not reaching applicants quickly enough.
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The government, meanwhile, says the process is underway and that historical records must first be linked to individual applicants through genealogy.
Vallabh Ozarkar is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express' Mumbai bureau, recognized as an authoritative and deeply knowledgeable voice on the politics, governance, and infrastructure of Maharashtra. With more than nine years of experience in major news organizations, his reporting delivers high standards of Expertise and Trustworthiness.
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