Maratha activist's hunger strike draws support and warnings from local leader

Abhijit Dipke, a political figure from Hingoli district, visited Manoj Jarange Patil as the latter entered the 14th day of an indefinite hunger strike at Antarwali Sarati in Jalna, Maharashtra. Dipke warned the state that forcibly removing Patil, as Delhi Police did with activist Sonam Wangchuk, would provoke a massive influx of supporters from across the state to the protest site. He criticized the government for ignoring Patil’s 15-point demand list concerning Maratha reservation, education and employment, and called for direct talks.

Patil, who began his fast on August 29, has also announced a planned march to Mumbai and will confer with Maratha community leaders to schedule it. The Maharashtra government, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, says it has already fulfilled most of the demands, highlighting the issuance of Kunbi certificates and benefits for over 350,000 Maratha youths under the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes quota.

Dipke challenged the authorities to name a single district where rural government schools function well and where sufficient jobs exist. The standoff underscores ongoing tensions over reservation policy in the state.