Five young farmers from Osmanabad resorted to a peaceful way to appeal to the political parties in the state on the issue of Maratha reservation.
The five farmers — Balasaheb Mane (29), Pankaj Jagtap (27), Akshay Gaikwad (28), Saheb Jadhav (26), Nitin Jadhav (24) from Umarga Taluka of Osmanabad — walked to Mumbai covering about 500 km distance to appeal to all the political parties in the state on the Maratha reservation issue.
They started their Journey on October 15 and reached Mumbai on October 27, walking for straight 13 days. They are all farmers hailing from Umarga Taluka in Osmanabad.
Mane, who is a BSc graduate and is earning his livelihood by working in farms, said, "We have seen how the community people sacrificed their lives. So far, 42 people have died fighting for the Maratha reservation. More people should not do so and no one should take this extreme step. Therefore, the government should make a commitment. It’s time for all political parties to come together and build confidence to solve the matter."
Mane further said that reservation for the Maratha community would open up job opportunities for the unemployed. Again, it would help them get admission in various educational institutions in the state in an easy manner. But there is a stay order which has upset the community, he added.
Besides this, in the Supreme Court on Maratha reservation case, the state government appointed a lawyer who allegedly remained absent and this has created confusion as well as uncertainty, Mane claimed.
On Tuesday, the Maratha reservation matter in the SC was adjourned for four weeks as the government advocate remained absent. This was the first hearing on the reconsideration petition after the apex court last month ordered a stay on the implementation of a decision to provide quota in jobs and education to the Maratha community.
