While Maharastra has been witnessing Maratha agitation, the shepherd community–Dhangars of the state will also conduct their own protests demanding reservations in education and jobs under the Schedule Tribe (ST) category.
According to The Indian Express, the Dhangar leaders have formed the outfit Dhangar Sangharsh Samiti Maharashtra Rajya (DSSMR), under which they have called protests in the whole state on Monday from 10 am to 6 pm.
The day is special for the shepherd community as it marks the death anniversary of Ahilyabai Holkar, a Dhangar queen of Indore who for almost three decades ruled the Malwa kingdom– which now comes in parts of central and western Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
On Saturday, DSSMR held a meeting in Mumbai of the leaders of the shepherd community, the local leaders were asked to collect the Dhangar members and find areas in Marathwada, Vidarbha and northern Maharashtra to conduct protests. They were directed that no violent method was to be used during the agitation but to mark their presence fully, reported FirstPost.
DSSMR leader and Rajya Sabha BJP MP Dr Vikas Mahatme told The Indian Express, “The Dhangar protest is to highlight the long-pending demand of the community to enlist it and provide benefits under the ST category. The agitation was necessary following unrest among the community members, especially the poor, who believe their voice is not being heard by the government.” Dr Mahatme also brought up the issue of the shepherd community in Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon session.
A Dhangar leader stated, “It is time to show the community’s strength by taking to the streets. The government promised to fulfil our demand, which had remained only on paper. It should not test our patience”, reported The Indian Express.
The Dhangar community is currently listed under the Vimukti Jati and Nomadic Tribes. The community has been included in the ST category but has been misspelt as ‘Dhangads’, due to which they do not enjoy reservation rights, reported The Indian Express.
To pacify the agitated community, CM Devendra Fadnavis on Friday assured them that the government will make efforts to fulfil their demands. He said, “The government is committed and taking every effort to complete all procedures (for reservations for the community) at the earliest. We are completing constitutional formalities with a detailed report by the TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences) which is expected to get done by the end of this month.”