RELENTLESS VOICE OF MARATHA ASPIRATION

IN a city that rarely sleeps and never stops, few individuals have had the power to bring Mumbai to a grinding halt.

- SUDHIR SURYAWANSHI

Historically, it took the might of George Fernandes, the fiery trade unionist-turned defence minister, or the commanding presence of Balasaheb Thackeray, the founder of Shiv Sena, to pause the ticking clock of India’s financial capital. But in recent years, another name has emerged: Manoj Jarange Patil, all of 43, the Maratha reservation crusader who shook Mumbai with a peaceful protest, bringing the government to its knees.

Jarange Patil’s five-day hunger strike at the iconic Azad Maidan in Mumbai was more than a protest. It was a movement that transformed the very image of the city. Saffron turbans, spirited youths, and resolute elders occupied South Mumbai. Local trains, usually bustling with office-goers, were instead filled with Maratha protestors who had travelled from every corner of Maharashtra to support the cause. For five days, Mumbai witnessed an unusual calm.