Maharashtra minister Uike says tribal students’ demands will be met on Day 15 of stir

Ashok Uike, Maharashtra's Tribal Development Minister, declared on Thursday that all demands raised by tribal students during a 15-day hunger strike would be addressed, stating that the government had conveyed this to the protesting students in writing. The hunger strike had concluded at the government Tribal Hostel in Manjiri, Pune, after 15 days.

Uike made this announcement following a meeting with students and Food and Drugs Administration Minister Narhari Zirwal. Prior to the meeting, students had given the government two days to respond to a list of 14 demands. Despite the government's claims, hunger strike participant Suraj Bande insisted that none of the demands were negotiable and that the students would only call off the protest once they received written deadlines for the implementation of each demand.