NEW DELHI: Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil on Thursday called off his 20-day-old hunger strike and gave the Maharashtra government three months to consider his demands, news agency PTI reported.The decision came after Jarange addressed a large gathering at Patoda in Beed district around 2 am, raising concerns about his worsening physical condition and the possibility of abandoning his planned march to Mumbai.Jarange, who had entered the day 18 of his fast at the time of the address, said he was too physically exhausted to continue a long journey with thousands of supporters travelling behind him.He asked Maratha community members not to follow his vehicle after he left Patoda. Instead, he urged them to meet him directly at Khopoli. He warned that if the convoy continued, he might stop the journey and resume his sit-in protest in Patoda or return to Antarwali Sarati.Despite reaching the venue at around 1.30 am, Jarange found thousands of people, including women, waiting to hear him speak.Addressing the gathering, he said he could barely move his limbs after stopping IV fluids on September 12.“Fighting for the children of my community has taken a toll on my body, but I have taken on the government for you. The government wants me to surrender, but should I abandon our demand? My community is greater than any government – it is my father. My community holds the power to bring down any government and install a new one,” he asserted.Jarange said the movement had made progress after 58 lakh archival records, known as nondi, were uncovered. He claimed these records could help nearly 2.5 crore members of the Maratha community access reservation benefits.He said the immediate demand was for the Maharashtra government to issue an official gazette recognising the relevant records.The activist also criticised chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, claiming he had countered the government’s political moves and that all the documented records had been secured on pen drives. He further accused Fadnavis of “plotting against his life”.Responding to the government’s argument about fruit orchard owners in Western Maharashtra, Jarange questioned why OBC communities that also own orchards should not receive reservation benefits.
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“The government claims Western Maharashtra has fruit orchards, but don’t OBC communities own orchards too? Why do they have a reservation then?”Jarange said it was not possible to continue a rally tour while observing an indefinite hunger strike. He appealed to supporters to avoid following his vehicle and said he would prefer to travel directly to Mumbai from Patoda after speaking to the police, if his health allowed.He also spoke about his family, saying he had asked them to live with self-respect and told his son to remain courageous if he died for the community.“I have told my family to live with self-respect. I told my son to step up courageously if I give my life for the community. Let one life be sacrificed for the cause, but never let the dignity of our caste be lowered,” he said.
