Fasting Maratha activist Manoj Jarange risks life on march to Mumbai as health plummets

A failing body on a long road

Fasting Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange is pushing ahead with his 400-kilometre march to Mumbai, despite government doctors warning that his health is failing rapidly and he urgently requires intensive care.

On Wednesday, the 19th day of his hunger strike, Jarange arrived in Patoda in Maharashtra’s Beed district. The 14-hour journey from his starting point in Jalna has left him severely weak. A medical team led by Beed district civil surgeon Dr Satishkumar Solanke examined the 44-year-old activist and found his blood pressure and blood sugar levels had plunged.

"Manoj Jarange needs hospitalisation," Dr Solanke said. "He is close to severe dehydration. He cannot travel merely based on IV fluid administration." The doctor added that Jarange had produced no urine since the morning, putting him at immediate risk of a dangerous electrolyte imbalance.

While medical staff administered intravenous fluids, Dr Solanke warned that simple saline drops would not make him fit to travel. "Hospitalisation in an ICU is urgently required," he said.

The activist’s dilemma

Jarange himself acknowledged the toll the fast is taking on his body. Speaking to supporters in Patoda, he described a severe burning sensation in his stomach and feet, and admitted the march might have to be called off if his condition worsens.

"If I take treatment, the government becomes completely carefree," Jarange said. "If I stop treatment, they become anxious." He urged his followers to let him proceed to Mumbai alone to avoid drawing police action against a massive convoy, but insisted that securing the quota remains his priority. "Reservation is more important than the tour," he told the crowd.

Jarange is demanding that Marathas with Kunbi caste genealogies be recognised under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, allowing them access to state jobs and education quotas. He intends to reach Azad Maidan in Mumbai by September 19 to escalate his protest.

State government stands firm

Unlike Jarange’s massive protest in August 2025, which brought parts of south Mumbai to a standstill before the government accepted several of his demands, the administration is taking a firmer line this time.

Mumbai Police have denied Jarange permission to hold his protest at Azad Maidan, citing public safety and traffic concerns during Ganeshotsav, Maharashtra’s largest public festival.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis questioned the timing of the march, defending the police’s duty to maintain law and order when the capital and nearby Pune are heavily crowded for the celebrations. Fadnavis stated that the government has already met 12 of the 13 "legally valid" demands raised by the Maratha protesters, and warned that implementing the final demand would violate constitutional and judicial boundaries.

Despite the medical warnings and the lack of police permission, Jarange’s convoy of cars continues to move toward Mumbai, still drawing hundreds of supportive villagers at every stop.