Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil is currently interviewing the aspirants who want to contest the assembly elections as the official candidates of the Maratha community. He had been interviewing the candidates continuously for past 24 hours and on Friday, he seemed emotional when the media went to have a look at the process. “Don’t let the fight die off,” he appealed the members of the community as he spoke to the media. However, this has led to questions whether he would emerge victorious in the fight in the court of people.
Born on August 1, 1982 in a modest family of Matori village in Beed district of Marathwada, Jarange-Patil rose to prominence in September 2023 after the police caned several of his supporters who had gathered at his village Antarwali Sarate in Jalna district. The police were trying to end forcefully, his fast, which he had started to push for his demand that Marathas be given caste certificates as Kunbis, which is classified under OBC communities.
After the quota given to Maratha community was struck down by the Supreme Court a couple of years back, the Maratha community leaders had been searching for ways to revive it and what Jarange-Patil is asking for is one of the ways, though it has several legal hurdles. The real issue of confrontation is that he wants the government to make decision in favour of their demand at once and the government is shying away from doing that, though it has already conceded to most of their other demands.
Jarange-Patil wields considerable clout among Maratha youth. They are just crazy after him. They flock in lakhs whenever he calls for a rally. They wait till dawn if he is to pass by their village just have a glimpse of him. It appears as if the new generation of the community have all their hopes rested in him. One upon a time Jarage-Patil was just like them. He had completed his education till class 10 and moved to another district in Marathwada to pursue the traditional profession of farming. However, he got involved more in the community affairs and participated in several agitations of the community including the one for quota after 2016. He is married to Soumitra Jarange, and they have four children. His family life is a testament to his ability to balance his personal and professional responsibilities. His son, Shivraj, is pursuing a B.Tech degree, while daughter, Pallavi, is in class 8.
Much before he participated in the quota stir, in 2009 he had founded the Shivba Sanghatana, an organisation dedicated to the cause of education and employment for Maratha youth. Manoj Jarange-Patil is known for his resilience and unwavering commitment to social justice. His leadership style is characterised by grassroots mobilization and direct action. He has a unique ability to connect with people from various walks of life, which has been instrumental in garnering widespread support for his initiatives. However, his path is fill with political challenges and legal hurdles.
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