India, May 29 -- Hours before the government's May 28 deadline for solutions to his demands ended, Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil announced his intention of going ahead with an indefinite hunger strike from May 30. He also declared that the protest would be an extreme one, which would entail not just giving up food and water but sitting in the scorching sun without any shade.

In a press conference at his village Antarwali Sarati on Thursday morning, the activist said that he did not want any further discussions with the government. "I want all the promises given to us over the last three years to be implemented," he said. "I want Kunbi certificates to be issued to all Marathas on the basis of 5,80,000 Kunbi documents. I want ...