MUMBAI – An overwhelming number of Maratha Community protestors assembled at Azad Maidan, led by activist Manoj Jarange Patil, who started his hunger strike without setting an end date, which pushed the call for the Maratha community’s inclusion in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) forward.
The group wants a 10 percent reservation for government jobs and educational institutions. This major show of strength, with orange flags and powerful chants, brought the city to a halt. It also reopened a heated political debate, just as local elections approach.
Jarange travelled to Mumbai from Antarwali Sarati, a village in Jalna district, about 400 kilometres away. He arrived at Azad Maidan by 9:45 a.m. with a large convoy, greeted by a huge crowd—reports estimate around 40,000 supporters, much higher than the 5,000 allowed by police.
Protestors, dressed in orange caps and scarves, waved flags and voiced their unity. Many drew inspiration from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, highlighting Maratha pride. The rally filled Azad Maidan, creating a striking scene near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT).
Speaking to the crowd, Jarange made it clear he would stay until the state government acted. He said, “I won’t leave here until our demands are accepted. Even if I face the worst, I will not step back.”
He criticized the administration, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, for not supporting the movement and for trying to create rifts between Marathas and OBCs. Jarange stressed, “We have never asked for anyone else’s share. We only want our rightful place.”
He told his followers to remain peaceful and cooperate with the police, hoping to keep the movement’s image untarnished.
Mumbai’s Roads Come to a Standstill
As protestors poured in—most from rural Maharashtra—the city’s traffic buckled. Major roads like the Eastern Freeway, Sion-Panvel Highway, P D’Mello Road, and Dr. Dadabhai Naoroji Road were closed from 6 a.m., open only for emergency services.
The Mumbai Traffic Police warned commuters to avoid routes in South Mumbai, but the advice lost its effect due to the sheer numbers and scale of disruption. Congestion hit key areas, including CSMT, Fort, Nariman Point, and Crawford Market, trapping many people between destinations.
Public transport struggled as well. Bus services from BEST near Azad Maidan, Kala Chowki, Byculla, and Dadar were either stopped or badly delayed, with buses stuck for long periods during rush hour. Suburban local trains, the backbone of Mumbai’s transport, filled up as demonstrators took to the streets around CSMT, disrupting schedules further.
The Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Sion-Panvel Highway saw traffic jams because of the vehicles joining Jarange’s convoy. Office workers, such as Priya Sharma, found themselves in gridlock for hours. She shared, “I left at 7 a.m. for Nariman Point, aiming to reach by nine, but was stuck for more than three hours.”
Despite calls to keep roads clear, some protestors unintentionally blocked streets outside CSMT and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters. In response, Jarange asked a group to leave Mumbai and go to Vashi in Navi Mumbai within two hours, highlighting heavy rain and the need to ease pressure on city residents. His message focused on avoiding trouble for locals and upholding discipline.
The Hunger Strike and Political Reactions
Jarange’s fast started around 10 a.m., marking his ninth hunger strike for this cause in two years. His main demand is for all Marathas to be recognized as Kunbis (an agrarian community in the OBC list), allowing access to reservation benefits. Jarange warned that if the government delayed, he would also stop drinking water, showing his resolve to continue the protest.
He said, “This is our last stand. The government can grant reservation, or I am ready to give up my life.” He also accused the authorities of making things hard for protestors, denying access to water, toilets, and food stalls.
The Mumbai Police had allowed the protest from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. under strict conditions, but organizers requested more time, and the demonstration carried on into Saturday, 30 August. Jarange, unimpressed by extensions given day by day, called these efforts stalling tactics.
He appealed to Chief Minister Fadnavis to grant reservations without further delay, suggesting it would help the poor within the Maratha community. A Bombay High Court decision on 26 August required that protests stay in marked locations like Azad Maidan, to limit city-wide disruption during festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi.
Politics in Maharashtra has grown more tense since the protest began. The Chief Minister repeated that the government supports Maratha demands, but warned that actions must not violate the constitution or upset existing OBC groups.
He claimed some outside influences were trying to drive a wedge between Marathas and OBCs. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde agreed, promising to protect both communities. Opposition voices, including Uddhav Thackeray and Rohit Pawar, said the administration should speak with Jarange and solve the matter.
Other political leaders from the Marathwada region, including Bajrang Sonawane and Sanjay Jadhav, visited Azad Maidan to offer their support. BJP MLA Samadhan Awatade called for a special legislative assembly session to address the crisis.
Background of the Maratha Reservation Issue
The Maratha quota demand has seen many ups and downs. In 2018, the Maharashtra government, then led by the BJP and Shiv Sena, announced a 16 percent reservation for Marathas. The Bombay High Court later trimmed this to 13 percent in state jobs and 12 percent in education.
In 2021, the Supreme Court cancelled the quota, saying it breached the 50 percent reservation ceiling. In February 2024, the government approved a 10 percent quota under the Socially and Economically Backward Classes group, but this too faces legal challenges.
Jarange’s insistence on OBC recognition comes from worries that a separate quota could again be struck down, so he has pressed for Kunbi certificates as a more secure path.
On Friday evening, the mood at Azad Maidan stayed strong despite hardship. Many had come from distant parts of Maharashtra and faced locked toilets and closed food stalls, which Jarange said happened on police orders.
He accused officials of harassment and compared their actions to colonial rule. Still, the protestors’ determination did not fade. They vowed to stay until the government responded.
With the hunger strike set to continue on Saturday, 30 August, Mumbai prepares for more disruption. The state government must find a path that supports Maratha demands without setting off conflict with the OBCs. Jarange’s movement has become a central issue in Maharashtra’s political scene, putting new pressure on the Mahayuti coalition to offer a lawful solution.
For the moment, Azad Maidan stands as the heart of this campaign, mixing decades-old grievances with today’s social and political battles as Maharashtra and the country as a whole wait for what happens next.
