1 September, Monday: Activist Manoj Jarange has pledged not to drink water from the fourth day of his hunger strike on Monday (September 1, 2025) and face "bullets" for his demand for reservation to the Maratha community in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.
According to a Hindu report, the activist told his supporters. "From tomorrow (Monday) (September 1, 2025), I will stop taking water as the government is not accepting the demands. But I am not going back till the quota demand is met. We will get the reservation for Marathas under the OBC category no matter what,"
"The government should say that Marathas are a sub-caste of Kunbis. There are 58 lakh records that have been found, which show links of Marathas as Kunbis. Those who want a reservation will take it. Don't generalize Marathas as Kunbis if there is a legal issue," Mr. Jarange told a press conference on Sunday (August 31, 2025) night.
Who is Manoj Jarange?
Manoj Jarange has been staging an indefinite hunger strike at the Azad Maidan from Friday (August 29, 2025) over his demand for a 10% quota for Marathas under the OBC category. He emphasized he will not leave Mumbai till his demands are met, Mr. Jarange on Sunday (August 31, 2025) said, "The government has records of 58 lakh Marathas as Kunbis."
Manoj Raosaheb Jarange, also known as Manoj Jarange Patil, is an Indian activist fighting for the reservation of Marathas. He is based in the state of Maharashtra, India. For its part, the Maharashtra government said on Sunday (August 31, 2025) that it will obtain a legal opinion regarding implementing the Hyderabad gazetteer on the Kunbi status-an OBC caste, of the Maratha community. Jarange, is not impressed with the answer yet and stated that he won't back off from the hunger strike or the protest, at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai till his demands are met. His hunger strike will go on, even if the Devendra Fadnavis government fires bullets at protesters.
No one can stop Marathas from getting reservation under the OBC category, he claims.
