Jalna Collector Ashima Mittal Urges Manoj Jarange Patil To End Hunger Strike, Cites School Disruption And Public Order Concerns

Jalna district Collector Ashima Mittal made an appeal to Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil to cease his indefinite hunger strike before September 12. The collector emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and safeguarding the interests of all sections of society. Speaking at a press conference held at the Collectorate, Mittal highlighted that the administration's responsibility was to ensure the termination of Jarange's fast, particularly due to its impact on daily life, including the education of schoolgirls in Antarwali Sarati.

The gathering at the protest site had caused schoolgirls to stop attending classes, she pointed out. The state government, Mittal stated, had adopted a positive stance towards the Maratha reservation issue and was working diligently to resolve most of the community's concerns. During the last three years, the administration identified 5,027 documentation related to Kunbi records under the Justice Sandeep Shinde committee.

Out of 18,295 applications for Kunbi certificates, 18,276 certificates were issued, resulting in a nearly 99.9 percent disposal rate. In the Marathwada region, 3.16 lakh kunbi certificates were issued following the implementation of the Hyderabad Gazette on September 2, 2025. The administration received 421 applications and issued 377 Kunbi certificates after the Gazette's implementation.

Mittal also mentioned that 62 camps have been established in the district for issuing Kunbi certificates, with the process to be completed from September 10 to 16. Addressing concerns raised by women in Antarwali Sarati, the collector announced that a ban on the illegal sale of liquor in the village had been imposed and would remain in effect until the protest ended.

The administration had also received complaints about schoolgirls unwilling to attend classes due to the large gathering at the protest site. Mittal assured that she would focus on the village's development. She clarified that an individual could avail themselves of either a Kunbi certificate or an SBC certificate, but not both, and that there was a prescribed process for verifying the certificates' validity.

Jarange's health was being monitored by a team from the health department, with eight IV fluid administrations given until September 9 and continued administration on Thursday. Resident Deputy Collector Shashikant Hadgal and District Information Officer Arun Suryavanshi attended the press conference.