Jarange begins hunger strike, says won't leave Mumbai till demands met

Mumbai: Maratha quota movement leader Manoj Jarange began his indefinite hunger strike at the Azad Maidan in south Mumbai on Friday, vowing not to leave the city till the community's demands were met.

“I will die, but won’t back down this time. We will not leave Mumbai till our demands are met,” he said, as he began his fast at 10 am.

Thousands of office-goers faced inconvenience as Maratha protesters headed to Azad Maidan. Traffic slowed down in the city’s southern and eastern parts.

Those arriving to take BEST buses or taxis to their workplaces in business areas like Nariman Point and Crawford Market had a tough time due to congestion in and around Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT).

Jarange, 43, received a rousing welcome from thousands of supporters, sporting saffron caps, scarves and flags, after he reached the protest venue around 9.45 am.

“I will not go back until our demands are met. I will not retreat even if I am shot dead,” said Jarange in his address to his supporters.

Jarange asked Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to “show his commitment to Marathas through his actions”.

“If the state government agrees to our demands, we will withdraw the agitation,” he said. “But you have to be sincere or else, the Marathas will show their power to both the state and centre governments,” he added.

He said the state government's lack of cooperation had compelled the community to march to Mumbai. “Now that the government has allowed the protest, we must cooperate with the police and ensure that we do nothing that tarnishes the community's image,” he said.

Jarange asked his supporters to park their vehicles at designated places and not to block Mumbai's roads. “Clear the streets in two hours and ensure Mumbaikars are not troubled. Those who want to leave the city today can do so,” he said.

Ruing that the police had given him permission for only one day, Jarange appealed to the government to give him more days to protest.

“We want the government to grant us reservation and accept all our demands,” said Jarange, who has been demanding a 10 per cent quota for Marathas under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

He wants all Marathas to be recognised as Kunbis, an agrarian caste included in the OBC category, which will make them eligible for reservation in government jobs and education.

Accompanied by thousands of vehicles, Jarange, who began his march from his village Antarwali Sarati in Jalna district on Wednesday, was welcomed at Vashi by supporters as he entered Mumbai early in the morning.

The Mumbai police had allowed Jarange to stage a peaceful protest at Azad Maidan on August 29 between 9 am to 6 pm. At 6 pm, all protesters will have to leave the site, officials said.

However, going by the huge numbers and aggressive postures of the protesters, indications are that they won’t leave and a confrontation with law authorities is imminent, an official said.

Police had stipulated that only five vehicles of protesters can head to Azad Maidan and the number of protesters there should not cross 5,000. Many more gathered at the venue on Friday.

Maharashtra ministers Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and Chandrashekhar Bawankule said the state government is ready to talk with Jarange, stressing that his demands are being viewed sympathetically.

However, BJP member of legislative council Parinay Fuke cautioned against yielding to what he called unconstitutional demands, saying it would trigger bigger protests by the Other Backward Class (OBC) groups.

Vikhe Patil, who is the chairperson of the cabinet sub-committee on Maratha reservation, said Jarange's memorandum of demands would be taken up for discussion.

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said it is not the sentiment among Marathas that they should get a part of the quota meant for OBCs.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said the government must immediately hold a dialogue with Jarange and give justice to his community.

“The protesters are not terrorists and they have come to Mumbai not for rioting but for justice, Thackeray told reporters.

Maharashtra BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye accused the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi of failing to address the demands of the Maratha community when it was in power.

Upadhye targeted NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray and the Congress for ‘inaction’ over the Maratha quota.

Many MPs and legislators of Opposition parties also met Jarange at Azad Maidan on Friday and expressed their support for his protest.

A short spell of heavy rains on Friday morning caused inconvenience to the protesters at Azad Maidan and outside, forcing many of them to look for shelter.

Several protesters ran towards CSMT, while others took cover under the BMC headquarters porch, inside the CSMT subway, and at nearby bus stops to avoid getting drenched.

However, many Maratha community members braved the showers to stay put at the protest venue.

“In view of the heavy crowd gathering in and around the CSMT station, passengers are advised to travel to CSMT only if essential and unavoidable,” a Central Railway official said.

In January this year, Jarange called off his hunger strike on the sixth day, after BJP MLA Suresh Dhas intervened on behalf of the state government.

It was his seventh such protest since 2023. Jarange had then announced that if the promised measures were not implemented swiftly, he would lead a major agitation in Mumbai. “This time, we will not return empty-handed,” he had declared.