In Nashik, Maharashtra, hundreds of tribals staged a protest march on Thursday, opposing the proposal to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Dhangar community. The demonstrators, carrying placards and chanting slogans, marched through various parts of the city, including Sadhugram, Tapovan, Panchvati, Ravivara Karanja, and MG Road.
Some protesters also raised slogans against Union Minister Bharti Pawar and MLC Gopichand Padalkar, both belonging to the ruling party. The Dhangars currently hold reservations under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, and according to the protesters, granting them ST status would further reduce opportunities for tribal communities.
A memorandum presented by the protesters to Governor Ramesh Bais and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, through the district collector, urged that any decision regarding Dhangar reservations should not proceed without the endorsement of the Tribal Advisory Committee. They also demanded that the report from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences concerning the Dhangar community be tabled in the legislature for discussion and debate.
Interestingly, OBC groups have been organizing similar protests to oppose proposals that would grant Maratha community members Kunbi certificates, as Kunbis are classified as OBCs in the state.