Maratha quota leader Manoj Jarange Patil on Tuesday announced a major victory after the Maharashtra government’s cabinet sub-committee agreed to implement most of his key demands, including issuing Kunbi caste certificates to eligible Marathas. The announcement, made on the fifth day of his indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan, sparked celebrations among thousands of supporters gathered at the site.
“We have won,” Jarange told the crowd after meeting the sub-committee led by minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil. Other members included ministers Shivendrasinh Bhosale, Uday Samant, and Manikrao Kokate. The delegation discussed a draft proposal with Jarange, which he later shared with the supporters.
Jarange said the government has agreed to implement the Hyderabad Gazette, allowing Marathas with Kunbi records to receive caste certificates after verification. He added that a Government Resolution (GR) formalizing this decision would be issued immediately, while the Satara Gazette would be implemented within a month.
The activist also announced that the state has promised to withdraw cases against protesters by the end of September and provide financial aid and government jobs—based on qualifications—to the kin of those who died during the agitation. According to Jarange, ₹15 crore has already been distributed to affected families, with the remaining funds to be released within a week.
Setting a deadline for the end of the protest, Jarange said, “We will leave Mumbai by 9 pm today if the government issues GRs on the Maratha quota demands.”
Minister Vikhe Patil confirmed that around eight lakh objections have been filed to the earlier sage soyare (blood relatives) notification and said the government needs time to review them. He added that legal measures were being explored to issue a GR equating Marathas with Kunbis, a process expected to take about two months.
The Maratha community has long demanded a 10 per cent quota in government jobs and education under the OBC category, a claim rooted in the historic Hyderabad Gazette that identifies Marathas as Kunbis. Jarange, who began his hunger strike on 29 August at Azad Maidan, has led multiple agitations over the past year, drawing massive crowds and forcing government concessions.
