Jarange cancels all tours for next one year, to focus on building Maratha cadre network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: After failing to secure OBC-category reservation for the Maratha community so far, activist Manoj Jarange has cancelled all public tours across Maharashtra for the next year to focus on building a robust grassroots organisational network.Sources close to Jarange stated that the decision marks a shift from large-scale rallies and public meetings towards creating a structured mechanism in every district and taluka. The objective is to establish a dedicated cadre of volunteers to coordinate the movement's future activities.Symbolising this "renewal", the iconic protest pandal in Antarwali Sarati village — the site of Jarange's multiple hunger strikes over the last two years — was replaced with a new structure earlier this week.Pandurang Tarak, the village sarpanch and a close aide to Jarange, told TOI: "Jarange has decided to prioritise strengthening the organisational network of Maratha volunteers across the state. In the coming months, the movement's entire focus will remain on this consolidation." Jarange, who became the face of the Maratha quota stir in 2023, has spent the last two years traversing Maharashtra to mobilise support for the community's demand for reservation in education and government jobs. According to members of the agitation committee, the new roadmap involves appointing "Maratha sevaks" (volunteers) at the village, taluka, and district levels. These volunteers will be responsible for addressing community-related issues and streamlining communication within the movement. The move is seen as an attempt to consolidate the movement's gains after months of intense, high-energy mobilisation. Activists noted that while large gatherings were essential for drawing national attention to their demands, the next phase requires long-term coordination and organisational depth. Jarange's campaign for Maratha reservation under the Kunbi (OBC) category gained significant momentum on Aug 29, 2023, during a fast in Jalna district. The movement triggered statewide protests following a police crackdown on protesters on Sept 1, 2023. Since then, Jarange has maintained pressure on the state government through 2024 and 2025, demanding the implementation of the quota and the withdrawal of police cases against protesters. By stepping back from extensive travel, Jarange now intends to build a self-sustaining network that keeps the movement active at the local level without relying solely on massive public events.