Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Various organisations of the Maratha community, including Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM) and Maratha Kranti Thok Morcha (MKTM), jointly launched the indefinite ‘Chintan Andolan’ at Kranti Chowk on Sunday again for Maratha reservation and other major demands.
Ramesh Kere-Patil of MKTM started a hunger strike today. An exhibition of Government Resolutions (GRs) and circulars issued by the government to date for the Maratha reservation was put on display. Moreover, a presentation will be made every evening through PPT on how the Maratha community is eligible for reservation.
These organisations gave a warning eight days ago about Maratha ‘Arakshan Chintan Andolan’ starting on February 23, for demands including seeking reservation to the Maratha community, concessions to SARTHI beneficiaries on the line of BARTI, providing interest-free loan to the beneficiaries of Annasaheb Patil Economically Backward Development Corporation, implementing EWS reservation for the Maratha community.
Since the government did not take note of this warning, the actual movement started at Kranti Chowk today. The agitation began at noon with slogans like Ek Maratha, Lakh Marathas, Jai Bhavani, Jai Shivaji, Maratha community must get a reservation.
Coordinators Rajendra Date-Patil, Ravindra Kale-Patil, Rahul Patil, Shailesh Bhise, Nilesh Davle, Somnath Magar, Vijay Ghegare and others participated in this movement.
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The ESBC reservation of the Maratha community was cancelled in the Supreme Court due to the lack of proper representation in the court. The State Government has filed a curative petition on this decision. We are on an indefinite fast for the demands of maintaining this reservation, hiring a good lawyer for this, providing funds to the Annasaheb Patil Corporation, and concessions to the students of SARTHI.
(Ramesh Kere-Patil, agitator)