Maharashtra tense after another Maratha youth suicide

A 35-year-old man has committed suicide by jumping in front of a moving train in Aurangabad over the Maratha reservations, police said Monday. Following his suicide there have been number of violent protests taking place across Maharashtra. Section 144 has been levied in Pune after protestors burned 6 buses prompting police across the state to be on vigil.

The man, identified as Pramod Jaising Hore, posted a message on his Facebook page and shared a message on WhatsApp Sunday, saying he would be ending his life in support of the reservation demand, according to Mukundwadi police station’s Senior Inspector Natha Jadhav. Hore allegedly jumped before the running train in Mukundwadi area in central Maharashtra late Sunday night according to Jadhav. He posted a selfie before jumping in front of the train.

His Facebook post reads, the man had said in Marathi, “Chala aaj ek Maratha jaatoy, pan kahi tari Maratha arakshanasathi kara, jai jijau-aapla Pramod Patil (today one Maratha is leaving… but do something for the Maratha reservation… ),”. The police have confirmed these details to PTI.

Hore was preparing for the Maharashtra Public Service Commission exams, later posted another message, saying “Maratha reservation will claim one life”, he said. Many of Hore’s friends tried to reach out to him, but in vain as he took the drastic step of ending his life. His body was found on the railway tracks this morning, the officials reported. On learning about his suicide, a large number of people gathered outside his house.

His family members said they will not take possession of the body until the state government takes a final decision on the issue of reservation, over which the Maratha community has been agitating. Pramod Jaising Hore used to run a shop in Mukundwadi, while his wife was working as ‘gram sevika’ (a village-level functionary) as reported by the officials. The Maratha Kranti Morcha activists staged a ‘rasta roko’ (road blockade) on the Jalna Road Monday to press for their demands. According to PTI, 3 protesters lost their lives in the last one week during the ongoing agitation by the Maratha community, which is seeking 16 per cent quota in government jobs and education. The Maratha community which is considered politically influential in Maharashtra constitutes around 30 per cent of the state’s population.

The community had earlier taken out silent marches across the state to highlight their demands, prominent among them being that of reservation, however in the recent times their agitations have turned violent.