Either my funeral procession or Marathas victory march: Jarange-Patil on quotas

Vowing not to step back on reservations, Maratha leader Manoj Jarange-Patil on Saturday announced that the Maharashtra government has only 10 days to fulfil its promises and if it failed then it would be responsible for any consequences.

“We will not wait any more… The government must give us quotas. I gave my word and I will give my life for it… It will be either my funeral procession or a Maratha victory march,” Jarange-Patil roared before a mammoth crowd of Marathas at the Antarvali-Sarati village.

Speaking from a hand-held microphone on an open stage giving a 360-degree view of the massive crowd before him, the Maratha leader pointed out that after his 17-day hunger strike, he had given the state government 40 days to implement the demands, but there is no progress on it so far,

“A month has gone by, just 10 days are left. We want the Maratha reservations within the 50 percent ceiling. We demand that Marathas should be declared as ‘OBC’ and given the quotas accordingly… If the government increases the 50 percent limit for us, it will be acceptable,” said Jarange-Patil.

He called upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other leaders to “take the Maratha cause seriously” and include the community in OBCs to enable the reservations in education and jobs, and said he would spell out his next strategy on October 22.

“I request Modi, Shah and Shinde with folded hands to give us our rights. Do not harass us unnecessarily. We have waited so many years… We cannot wait any more. We have to safeguard the interests of the next generation. We are peaceful now, but can’t say what will happen tomorrow. This is the final ultimatum,” said Jarange-Patil, in a veiled warning.

He questioned why no survey was conducted for the quotas and called upon the Chief Minister to stop the work of the Committee, which was appointed last month on the reservations issue, declare Marathas as OBC and issue the Kunbi Caste certificate to enable them to get quotas.

Jarange-Patil also slammed Nationalist Congress Party (AP) Minister Chhagan Bhujbal and activist lawyer Gunratan Sadavarte who have taken an opposing stance on the Maratha quotas.

While Bhujbal has questioned the sources of funding for today’s mega-rally, Sadavarte has demanded his arrest, but Jarange-Patil said he has decided to ignore them.

“People say that Sadavarte is working for Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, so let him (Fadnavis) rein him in… 123 local villages have donated for today’s meeting and another 101 villages are ready with funds. It's not a question of money but that of the future of Maratha,” he declared.

Jarange-Patil returned to his native village after a 10-day whirlwind tour of some key districts for the pre-scheduled rally which attracted Marathas from all over the state.

The rally was conducted in a sprawling open 100-acres farmlands near the village, with some 500 acres reserved for parking of different vehicles in which the people arrived here since Friday morning.

Though exact figures were not available, local leaders, media and activists estimated that roughly around 12 lakhs, including a large number of women and girls, were present, braving the blazing October heat with mercury hovering at 37 degrees Celsius.

Jarange-Patil made a grand entry, walking along a 50-metre long flower-strewn pathway, stepped onto 15-feet high open stage affording a commanding view of the entire surroundings, garlanded and paid obeisance before an equestrian statue of the legendary Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Before and during the rally, the crowds raised chants of ‘Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Ki Jai’, ‘Ek Maratha, Lakh Maratha’, ‘Aala Re Aala, Wagh Aala’, with many going delirious at Jarange-Patil’s sight.

The arrangements were meticulous and elaborate, with least seven entrances to the venue, one reserved for women, and all needs met to make the people secure and comfortable.

Food packets were supplied from several of the two-dozen villages around Antarvali-Sarati, and an army of 10,000 volunteers took charge of managing the crowds since Friday, with local schools closed in view of the massive crowds.

A fleet of 10 fully-equipped ambulances was stationed with 40 beds kept ready, a team of 300 doctors and 500 nurses handled minor health issues of over a thousand of the attendees, and surrounding hospitals kept on alert for any major emergencies.

The organisers deployed 50 giant water tankers each with 12,000 litre drinking water capacity, plus over 600,000 bottles of mineral water for the rallyists, and a few portable toilets stationed outside the periphery of the venue, plus 1,000 loudspeakers and 20 giant LCDs at various locations to ensure Jarange-Patil was seen and heard.