The agitation for Maratha reservation intensified across Maharashtra as activist Manoj Jarange Patil’s indefinite hunger strike entered its fifth day on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, with concerns growing over his health and supporters taking the protest to roads in different parts of the state.
Jarange began his latest fast at Antarwali Sarati in Jalna district on August 29, pressing a series of demands connected to Maratha reservation, including the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates on the basis of historical records.
As doctors urged him to accept medical intervention and the Jalna administration appealed for an end to the fast, demonstrations in support of Jarange disrupted traffic on important roads.
At the same time, the Maharashtra government said it had submitted a draft proposal concerning Kunbi certificates and was awaiting Jarange’s response, indicating that negotiations were continuing even as the agitation intensified.
Doctors Raise Concerns Over Jarange Patil’s Health
Health concerns became one of the most immediate issues on the fifth day of the fast.
A medical officer who examined Jarange said his blood sugar level had dropped.
Doctors stationed at the protest site advised him to take intravenous fluids, but he refused, according to PTI.
The Jalna district collector also met Jarange and appealed to him to end his hunger strike.
Jarange, however, remained firm on continuing the agitation while discussions over the community’s demands remained unresolved.
His refusal to end the fast increased pressure on both the administration and the state government to find a way out of the standoff.
What Is Manoj Jarange Patil Demanding?
A central demand of the latest agitation concerns Kunbi caste certificates for eligible Marathas based on historical records.
Kunbis are included in Maharashtra’s Other Backward Classes category. Obtaining valid Kunbi certification can therefore make eligible individuals entitled to benefits available under the OBC reservation framework.
Jarange has sought government action recognising historical records that, according to his position, establish the Kunbi status of large numbers of Marathas.
He has specifically demanded a government resolution concerning 58 lakh records or entries that have become a major point in negotiations between his movement and the Maharashtra government.
The issue is politically and legally sensitive because any action affecting access to the OBC reservation framework also has implications for communities already receiving reservation benefits under that category.
Government Hands Draft Proposal to Jarange
The Maharashtra government said it had taken steps aimed at addressing some of the demands.
Cabinet ministers Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and Uday Samant said the Jalna district collector met Jarange and handed him a government draft concerning the issuance of Kunbi certificates.
According to the ministers, the administration was awaiting Jarange’s suggestions on the proposal before taking the process further.
The government also said a pen drive containing records related to 58 lakh entries had been handed over to him.
Vikhe Patil indicated that the government was willing to consider modifications and presented its approach as an attempt to move negotiations forward.
The existence of a draft does not, however, mean that an agreement has been reached. Jarange remained dissatisfied with the government's response and continued his fast.
Road Blockades Signal Wider Support for Protest
While negotiations continued, supporters expanded demonstrations beyond Antarwali Sarati.
Maratha protesters blocked the Dhule-Solapur National Highway at Wadigodri, causing disruption to traffic. The blockade reportedly continued for more than two hours.
Police personnel were deployed as protesters occupied the road.
Demonstrations were also reported on the Dharashiv-Ausa road, while protesters occupied the road at Katraj Chowk in Pune.
A bandh was also called in Dharashiv for Thursday.
The spread of demonstrations is significant because it shifts the agitation from a hunger strike concentrated around Jarange’s village into a broader mobilisation capable of disrupting transportation and normal activity in multiple parts of Maharashtra.
Jarange Warns Protest Could Move to Mumbai
Jarange has also warned of a larger escalation if his demands remain unresolved.
He indicated that the agitation could move from Antarwali Sarati to Mumbai on September 12, with supporters expected to participate in a major demonstration.
Such a mobilisation would significantly raise the stakes for the Maharashtra government.
Previous phases of the Maratha reservation movement have demonstrated Jarange’s ability to attract large crowds, making the possibility of another Mumbai mobilisation an important factor in the government's handling of the current standoff.
Whether the September 12 action proceeds will depend partly on developments in negotiations over the coming days.
Government Announces Certificate Camps
Alongside negotiations with Jarange, the state government has outlined administrative measures connected to the certification process.
Ministers said special camps would be organised across administrative circles from September 10 to September 17 to process applications and issue certificates.
The measure indicates an attempt by the government to demonstrate progress at the administrative level.
However, the central disagreement remains over the extent and manner in which historical records should translate into Kunbi recognition and certificates.
For Jarange and his supporters, administrative processing alone may not satisfy the broader demand unless the government provides what they regard as a clear and enforceable resolution.
Why Kunbi Certificates Are at the Centre of the Dispute
The current agitation needs to be understood separately from a simple demand for an entirely new reservation category.
Jarange’s campaign has increasingly focused on identifying Marathas who can establish Kunbi ancestry through historical records and providing them with corresponding caste certificates.
That distinction matters.
A Kunbi certificate can potentially provide an eligible individual access to reservation benefits within Maharashtra’s existing OBC framework.
The debate therefore intersects with two politically powerful concerns: the Maratha community’s demand for reservation benefits and apprehensions among existing OBC groups about protecting their current quota entitlements.
This makes any statewide policy decision more complicated than the issuance of individual certificates where documentary evidence already establishes eligibility.
Latest Fast Is Part of a Longer Campaign
The August 29 hunger strike is not Jarange’s first use of fasting as a pressure tactic.
Recent reporting describes it as his 11th hunger strike connected with the reservation movement.
Antarwali Sarati has emerged as the symbolic centre of his campaign since the Maratha quota agitation gained renewed momentum in 2023.
Successive rounds of protests, negotiations and government assurances have kept the issue at the centre of Maharashtra politics.
The repeated return to hunger strikes also illustrates why the latest government proposal is being closely watched: the dispute has persisted despite several rounds of engagement between Jarange and state authorities.
What Happens Next?
Three developments will determine the immediate direction of the agitation.
The first is Jarange Patil’s health. A prolonged hunger strike increases medical concerns and could intensify pressure on the administration.
The second is the government’s Kunbi certificate proposal. Whether revisions to the draft can satisfy Jarange will determine whether negotiations produce a breakthrough.
The third is the scale of protests outside Antarwali Sarati.
Road blockades and demonstrations across Maharashtra indicate that supporters are prepared to broaden the agitation. Jarange’s warning about taking the movement to Mumbai on September 12 gives the government a limited window to try to reach an understanding before the confrontation potentially moves to the state capital.
For now, the fifth day ended without a final resolution.
The government says it is taking administrative steps and remains open to modifications, while Jarange continues to insist on concrete action over Kunbi recognition and Maratha reservation.
With his health under scrutiny and demonstrations spreading beyond Jalna, the next phase of negotiations could determine whether the agitation begins to ease — or escalates further across Maharashtra.
