Maratha rights activist Manoj Jarange called off his 20-day indefinite hunger strike on Thursday, extending a fresh 90-day timeline to the Maharashtra state government to consider his key demands relating to caste-based reservation.
Jarange had begun his fast on August 29 at the historic Antarvali Sarati in Jalana district. Over the course of nearly three weeks, his protest drew significant attention from community groups, political parties, and human rights organizations across the state.
The central demand at the heart of the agitation concerns the inclusion of Maratha communities under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation quota, specifically grounded in the Kunbi lineage argument. Jarange and his supporters have long maintained that many Maratha families historically belonged to the Kunbi community — traditionally classified as an agricultural backward class — and therefore deserve representation under OBC schemes.
In addition to the reservation plea, Jarange also demanded formal government recognition of three specific historical gazette notifications from Hyderabad, Satara, and Pune districts. These documents, he argues, provide official evidence of Kunbi status for certain Maratha families and should serve as the basis for issuing Kunbi certificates.
Speaking to the media after ending the fast, Jarange stated clearly that the government now has exactly 90 days to respond substantively to his demands. He warned that failure to do so would force him to launch fresh protests, potentially in Mumbai, drawing larger crowds and renewed pressure on state authorities.
The Maharashtra government has not yet issued an official response to the latest appeal. Political analysts note that the Kunbi reservation question remains one of the most sensitive and debated issues in the state, intersecting with broader debates about caste census data, social justice, and electoral calculations ahead of future state elections.
Social media and community organizations have been actively tracking developments, with several Maratha groups expressing cautious optimism while urging continued vigilance.
