MUMBAI: The Dhangar community on Monday staged protest demonstrations at several places across Maharashtra to demand reservation under the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category. The agitation was particularly effective in places such as Nagpur, Kolhapur and Aurangabad, where agitators blocked roads for several hours. The agitations were peaceful. The community’s demand for the quota under the ST category had been supported by the BJP in 2014. But, nothing concrete has been done, the community leaders had said while announcing the agitation on the birth anniversary of Ahilyabai Holkar.
The schedule of tribes mentions ‘Dhangad’ instead of ‘Dhangar’ depriving the community of benefits under the ST category. The mistake in the schedule needs to be rectified, and for that the state government needs to send recommendations to the Centre, the community has been demanding.
Dhangar leaders, who are with the BJP, have said that the government is working on the issue and is waiting for a report from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). BJP MP in Rajya Sabha Dr Vikas Mahatme led the demonstrations at Nagpur. “The government is taking all the right steps and I hope that the issue would be resolved soon. And whenever I feel that my resignation would help the cause more, I shall do that,” he said to a media query on whether he would resign for the cause.
Minister for Dairy and Animal Husbandry Mahadeo Jankar, who had raised a huge agitation in the past, too said that the government is on right track.The tribal communities, however, are opposed to the decision saying that their share in quota would decrease if Dhangars are added to the category. Dhangars, currently, enjoy quota under Nomadic Tribes (NT) category.
Who are Dhangars?
Dhangars form roughly nine per cent of Maharashtra’s around 13 crore population. Traditionally being shepherds, cowherds, buffalo keepers, blanket and wool weavers, butchers and farmers, Dhangars were late to take up modern-day education.