Maratha Quota Activist Ends 5-Day Fast, Declares Victory After Breakthrough

Maratha Quota Activist Ends 5-Day Fast After Government Agrees to Key Demands.

In a breakthrough in the Maratha quota agitation, Maharashtra has agreed to Maratha leader Manoj Jarange Patil’s primary demand to implement the Hyderabad Gazette, which officially identifies Marathas as part of the Kunbi peasant community. The government has also committed to withdrawing all cases filed against protesters demanding reservation. Following a meeting with a cabinet sub-committee, Mr Patil announced that his supporters would vacate Mumbai by 9 pm, ending his five-day hunger strike. He was offered water by Maharashtra minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil as he concluded the fast, declaring, “We have won.”

Mr Patil had been fasting at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan, demanding reservation in jobs and education for Marathas from Marathwada and western Maharashtra. The cabinet sub-committee, which included ministers Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Manikrao Kokate, and Shivendra Raje Bhosale, met Mr Patil on-site, marking the first direct communication between the state government and the agitation leader.

The Hyderabad Gazette is central to Mr Patil’s demand, as it documents Marathas in Marathwada as Kunbis, a peasant caste, making the reservation demand a matter of historical identity rather than political expediency. In Maharashtra, the Kunbi community already enjoys reservation under the OBC category.

Addressing supporters after the meeting, Mr Patil said, “We won with your strength; today I understood the power of the poor.”

However, the agitation drew sharp criticism from the Bombay High Court, which flagged the disruption caused by thousands of protesters near Azad Maidan. The bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Aarti Sathe warned Mr Patil that normalcy must be restored by 3 pm or the court would intervene, including considering contempt action. The court noted the violation of the permitted 5,000-strong gathering, as over 60,000 people had entered the city, and emphasized that public safety and city functioning must be ensured.

Mr Patil had approached the High Court after Mumbai Police denied permission to continue the protest at Azad Maidan. During the hearing, his lawyer Satish Manshinde Patil apologized for the inconvenience. The bench also directed details of all vehicles involved in the agitation to be provided and criticized the state government for failing to manage the situation effectively.

By 3 pm, Mr Patil’s supporters were seen relocating to Navi Mumbai, complying with the court’s directive. The High Court warned that any further violations would be met with strict action.