For the sixth straight day, Maharashtra's highways tensed under the weight of protest. Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil, now accepting IV fluids but refusing solid food, has galvanized his community into action—and onto the roads.

Key facts

  • Manoj Jarange Patil's hunger strike enters sixth day in Antarwali Sarati
  • Supporters block major national highways including Dhule-Solapur and Nanded-Bidar
  • Bandhs observed in Jalna, Beed, and Dharashiv districts
  • Protests demand implementation of reservation based on Hyderabad and Satara Gazettes

The epicenter of unrest

In Jalna district's Antarwali Sarati, the scene feels both tense and determined. Police report growing crowds arriving daily to support Patil, who despite taking intravenous nutrition on Wednesday, remains firm in his fast. "I will continue to fast until the issues are resolved," he stated. "I am giving two days to the government to act."

Roads become rally points

Across Marathwada, national highways transformed into platforms of dissent. The Dhule-Solapur and Nanded-Bidar routes saw traffic halted temporarily, while the Kalam-Latur road and Tuljapur-Hyderabad route became stages for rasta-roko demonstrations. In Hingoli, entire regions including Shengaon and Goregaon shut down in solidarity.

"Manoj Jarange Patil is fighting for us, for the community; if we don't stand with him, who will? Government has been ignorant of our demands."

The emotion in that protester's voice echoes across the region. Commuters felt the impact too, with bus movements blocked at Dharashiv's central junction and bike rallies rolling through Beed's main square.

What they're fighting for

This marks Patil's 11th protest in three years, but the current demands carry particular urgency. The community seeks reservation based on the Hyderabad and Satara Gazettes, immediate distribution of certificates for approximately 58 lakh Kunbis, and validation of already-issued documents. Meanwhile, the government has extended the Sandeep Shinde committee's deadline by one year—a move that seems only to have intensified the pressure on the streets.