EVEN AS his condition deteriorated further on the fifth day of his fast-unto-death seeking reservation for Maratha community, activist Manoj Jarange Patil on Sunday told the state government to hold discussons with him till he is able to speak. In response, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said efforts to ensure reservation to Maratha community are underway and the Chief Minister himself is looking into the issue.
The Deputy CM said the government has taken the Maratha community’s demand for Kunbi as well as Maratha caste certificates into consideration and quota to the community was its “top priority”.
“People from the Kunbi community cannot be denied their status. Even if they have not been Kunbis for four generations, we cannot deny them the status. People from the community have pointed out that in old Nizam-era records, they were all Kunbis. To collect related documents, we set up a five-member committee headed by retired Chief Justice Sandeep Shinde. After the committee submits the report, the chief minister will take a decision in the matter,” he said in an interview to a Marathi news channel on Sunday.
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Jarange-Patil, who has been refusing to even drink water, get medical treatment and not in a position to even sit up and speak, tried to address the media in a voice which was barely audible. “We have not received any response from the government or any communication. We will wait till October 30-31. The government does not understand humanity…we will give them a reply,”’ he said, with his hands trembling while holding the mike.
Jarange-Patil said, “’The government should come to Antarwali Saraati village to hold discussion. Marathas will not pose any hurdle. Till I am in a condition to speak, the government should come and hold discussion. After that, there will be no use… The government should tell us whether you are going to come for disucssion or not, they should avoid idle talk.”’
Maratha quota activist Patil — who began another round of hunger strike on October 25 — has been consistently raising the demand for Kunbi caste certificates for the community. A section of Maratha Kranti Morcha, however, demanded that they be given the Maratha caste certificate in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category and not Kunbi.
The government committee, set up to determine the standard operating procedure (SOP), including legal and administrative framework for giving caste certificates to members of the Maratha community, was given a two-month extension till December 24 after it stated that most of the documents it collected were in Urdu, Farsi, and Modi lipi (a script used to write the Marathi language in ancient time), and so, it needed more time to translate them.
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Stating that the Maratha reservation was a complex issue, Fadnavis said, “We want to ensure that we provide reservations that could withstand the court scrutiny. If we provide a reservation hurriedly and then the matter stays in the court, we (government) will be accused of cheating. That is why Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had set up the committee to collect the related records (Nizam-era documents). The committee has already found some records, and based on appropriate records, the required course of action will be taken in the matter.”
“The chief minister is acting on this demand as well. We have filed a curative petition before the Supreme Court in this regard. We are trying for the Maratha reservation… whichever way possible… Ensuring reservation to the Maratha community is our top priority and committed towards this… We want to ensure that the reservation we provide passes the legal test,” Fadnavis said on the community’s demand for reservation as Marathas as well.
Patil said, “I will not backtrack till the Maratha community gets reservation… Kshatriyas should not cry, they should keep fighting. Till the agitation is underway, don’t bring my family before me. My community is my family. Maratha community should continue their agitation in a peaceful manner.”
Jarange-Patil, who had been refusing to drink water, relented Sunday following appeal from the villagers of Antarwali Saraati. Even while he sought an audience with the state government, Fadnavis put the ball in the court of the Chief Minister. “’Whatever appropriate decision has to be taken, should be taken through the office of the Chief Minister. Efforts are underway,” Fadnavis told reporters in Nagpur on Sunday.
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Adding that a team of doctors is monitoring his health, the Deputy CM said, “It is my ardent appeal that he (Jarange-Patil) should not ignore his health. After all, life is precious. Those who are with him should also ensure his health does not fail.”
“CM Eknath Shinde is closely monitoring the Maratha reservation issue. He has already reassured the government’s commitment to reservation. Jarange Patil should show trust in the CM,” he added.
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