On Wednesday, Atul Salukhe downed the shutters of his small photocopy-cum-grocery shop and travelled 20 km to the city of Dharashiv. The farmer from Patoda village in Dharashiv district (formerly, Osmanabad), who also runs a tractor-on-hire business, was headed for Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange-Patil’s “peace rally”, along with his entire family, including his elderly grandmother.
“This meant a day of less pay but the cause is more important,” said Salukhe, referring to a quota for Marathas.
Last month, Jarange-Patil withdrew his fast-unto-death pressing for a quota for Marathas under the OBC category after the state government assured him that his demands would be met, and gave the state administration a month, till July 12, to fulfil them. He warned that failure to do so would cause Marathas to mobilise against the ruling Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP for the Assembly polls. With the deadline approaching, Jarange-Patil set out on his yatra, and has been swamped by big crowds, arriving at scheduled rallies up to three years late as a result.
Marathas constitute around 34% of the state’s population. The Mahayuti government is reluctant to concede their demand for inclusion in the OBC category as it could trigger similar demands from other OBC groups. At the same time, the BJP realises that a shift in the Maratha community towards the Maha Vikas Agadi was one of the causes for the ruling alliance’s poor performance in the state.
Volunteers drawn from among the local Maratha youth manned the road and the crowds leading to Dharashiv, cleaning up after them to ensure there was no littering, such as used water bottles. (Express Photo by Parthasarathi Biswas)
Salukhe and two of his friends rode three to a motorcycle along the state highway to Dharashiv. Salukhe admitted that was a rule violation, but said the traffic police that was struggling to tackle the hundreds of people who had descended on the the city carrying saffron flags to welcome “Dada”, as Jarange-Patil is popularly known, were too preoccupied to notice them.
Volunteers drawn from among the local Maratha youth manned the road and the crowds leading to Dharashiv, cleaning up after them to ensure there was no littering, such as used water bottles.
Rohan Shelar, 24, from Medsinga village in Buldhana district, said he had dedicated himself to the cause after missing out on Army recruitment by two marks. “Where are the jobs? I have finished my graduation and now I am looking after my family’s 10 acres of land. Our family has taken a break from all farm activities to be present for Dada,” he said, adding that his younger brother must not miss out on opportunities like he did. “This is the fight for the present and the future generations.”
At the city entrance, as people lined up to catch a glimpse of Jarange-Patil, Shahji Somvamshi and his friends from Shahapur village in Tuljapur taluka discussed the cost of growing soybean vis-a-vis the prices, as well as support the quota leader has come to enjoy among the Marathas.
Rohan Shelar, 24, from Medsinga village in Buldhana district. (Express Photo by Parthasarathi Biswas)
“Look at the prices of soybean, and the rising input costs. We have not made any money for one-and-a-half years … Reservation in the OBC category is the only solution. If not jobs, we will be able to get the benefit of lower education fees. At present, our children are not able to afford professional courses and are dropping out,” said Somvamshi.
The village’s former sarpanch, Pandurang Survase, explained why Jarange-Patil had managed to capture the imagination of Marathwada. “Marathas in Vidarbha have managed to get Kunbi certificates (entitling them to OBC status) while the Maratha community in western Maharashtra is relatively well off. However, we in Marathwada have almost nothing to fall back on. Our crops are more susceptible to weather vagaries, and lack of industries means no jobs for us. This fight is not just for reservation, it is for our survival,” he said.
The government has allowed Maratha persons who have records showing they belong to the agrarian Kunbi community to get reservation under the OBC category as will their blood relatives (sage soyare). Kunbis are categorised as OBCs.
Hitting out at the government Tuesday, Jarange-Patil said in Latur that he was forced to hold rallies as the state government was “conspiring” against the Maratha community, and accused BJP leader and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis as well as minister Girish Mahajan of “provoking OBC leaders to go against the Marathas”.
In Dharashiv, the crowd of mostly young men talked about Jaranage-Patil and the effect he supposedly had in the Lok Sabha elections. “Look at Nanded, the Congress candidate was virtually unknown, yet he won. Let Dada just give us a hint, we will teach the politicians a lesson they will never forget,” said one such youngster in the crowd. Of the eight Lok Sabha seats in Marathwada, the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) won seven. Local Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Baburao Ankush Chavan said the Maratha leader should not directly enter politics. “He is a mass leader and he should guide the course of politics,” said Chavan.
Around 1 pm, the excitement rose to fever pitch as Jaranage-Patil’s convoy arrived in Dharashiv and slogans were raised: “Jai Bhavani, Jai Shivaji, Dada tum age bado, hum tumahre saath hai (Dada you lead the way, we are with you).” With the crowd attempting to catch his glimpse, Jarange-Patil, wearing his signature white shirt with a saffron stole wrapped around his neck. climbed to the top of his car and waved. “Sada manush (a simple man),” remarked a person in the crowd, illustrating to a large degree why Jarange-Patil is popular.
Marathas constitute around 34% of the state’s population. (Express Photo by Parthasarathi Biswas) 
Volunteers drawn from among the local Maratha youth manned the road and the crowds leading to Dharashiv, cleaning up after them to ensure there was no littering, such as used water bottles. (Express Photo by Parthasarathi Biswas)
Rohan Shelar, 24, from Medsinga village in Buldhana district. (Express Photo by Parthasarathi Biswas)
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