Representatives of the Sakal Dhangar Samaj have been on a hunger strike for six days at Tilak Smarak, Pandharpur, demanding that the Dhangar Samaj be included in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category. In response to this protest, a crucial meeting has been scheduled for today, September 15, at 2 p.m. at the Sahyadri Guest House, with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in attendance.
On Saturday, September 14, a government delegation met with the hunger strikers. The delegation, which included Guardian Minister Chandrakant Patil and Minister Shambhuraj Desai, assured the protesters that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde would address the issue during the meeting on Sunday and that a satisfactory solution would be sought.
For today’s meeting, representatives from the Dhangar community, including Adv. Subhash Gophane, Anil Zhore, Subhash Maske, Biru Kolekar, Pankaj Devkate, Prashant Ghodke, Aditya Fattepurkar, and Vitthal Patil, have traveled to Mumbai. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, along with Chandrakant Patil, Shambhuraj Desai, Atul Save, and Vijay Gavit, will also be present at the meeting.
Given the urgency of the agitation and the complexity of the legal issues involved, the Chief Minister ordered that the meeting be held today, even though it is a Sunday. The government has also invited legal experts to assist in addressing the challenges associated with including the Dhangar community in the Scheduled Tribe category.