Amid the Maratha reservation demand under the OBC category, two activists from the Other Backward Classes have been sitting on a fast in Maharashtra’s Jalna district, seeking an assurance that their quota will not be affected.
On Monday, a government delegation met the OBC activists, Laxman Hake and Navnath Waghmare, urging them to end their fast, but they refused.
The agitators said they are not against the reservation for Marathas, but it should not disturb the OBC quota.
The OBC activists have been demanding scrapping of the government’s draft notification that recognises Kunbis as “sage soyare” (blood relatives) of Maratha community members.
An OBC community leader has also warned of fasts across the state if the government’s actions negatively impact their quota.
Hake and Waghmare have been sitting on the fast for five days at Wadigodri village, located near the Antarwali Sarathi village where activist Manoj Jarange recently held a hunger strike seeking reservation for the Maratha community under the OBC category.
Hake is a former member of the Maharashtra State Backward Classes Commission, and Waghmare is president of the Samta Parishad, Jalna, an organisation working for the welfare of OBCs.
On Monday, a government delegation comprising Maharashtra minister Atul Save, Rajya Sabha member Dr Bhagwat Karad and Shiv Sena MP Sandipan Bhumre met Hake and Waghmare and requested them to end their fast or at least take water, but they refused.
The agitators demanded a written assurance from the government that the Maratha reservation would not affect the OBC quota.
The government delegation assured them that their demands would be discussed in a cabinet meeting scheduled on Tuesday.
Karad expressed concern over the deteriorating health of Hake and Waghmare, urging them to take water to prevent irreversible kidney damage.
“Being a doctor, I request you to take water,” he said.
However, the activists refused to pay heed to the request.
Speaking to reporters, Hake said, “We will not end the fast until the government gives a written assurance.” He claimed the government was neglecting the OBC quota issue.
“We are not against the reservation for Marathas, but it should not disturb the OBC quota,” he said.
On June 13, Jarange suspended his indefinite fast over the Maratha quota and set a deadline of one month before the Maharashtra government to accept the community’s demands.
He has been demanding the implementation of the draft notification that recognises Kunbis as “sage soyare” (blood relatives) of Maratha community members and also seeking a law to identify Kunbis as Marathas.
Kunbi, an agrarian group, falls under the OBC category, and Jarange has been demanding that Kunbi certificates be issued to all Marathas, thus making them eligible for quota benefits.
Hake claimed he and Waghmare had been sitting on the fast for five days and stopped drinking water on Sunday after the government’s “apathy”.
On Sunday, former BJP MLA and OBC leader Prakash Shendge met Hake here and extended support to him.
Talking to reporters, Shendge demanded the withdrawal of the draft notification on “sage soyare”.
“The government has given 10 per cent quota to Marathas and now Jarange is seeking Kunbi certificates under the ‘sage soyare’ (notification) which is not acceptable to us,” he said.
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