New challenge for Shinde govt as Dhangar community's demand for reservation category change takes momentum

Mumbai: In the run up to the 2024 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls in Maharashtra, the demand by the Dhangar community for category change in reservation has once again gained momentum and took a new turn with strong protests and violence in Jalna. 

On 11 December, coinciding with the Nagpur winter session of Maharashtra legislature, the Dhangars are  planning a massive show of strength outside the Vidhan Bhavan complex in the state’s winter capital. 

The Dhangar community - the traditional nomadic shepherds - gets reservation in education and jobs under Nomadic Tribes (C) category which is 3.5 per cent, however, the demand is for placing them under Scheduled Tribes, which get 7 per cent reservation. 

The Dhangar leaders claim ‘Dhangar’ and ‘Dhangad’ are same and a "topographical error" that has deprived them in Maharashtra to get benefits under ST category like some other states. 

The ball is largely in the court of the Central government even as cutting across party lines,  the major parties have agreed to the demand for ST category. 

The issue has emerged as a major challenge for Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the two Deputy Chief Ministers -  Devendra Fadnavis of BJP and Ajit Pawar of NCP.

“During the winter session, the Dhangar community would stage a mammoth morcha on 11 December,” said BJP MLC Gopichand Padalkar, who is one of those spearheading the campaign.

Dhangars hail from  the Western Maharashtra  and Marathwada regions  of the state and account for nearly 9.5 to10 per cent of the state's total 13  crore population.

Politically, they are significant in four Lok Sabha seats of the total 48 - Barmati, Madha, Solapur and Satara. 

In the 288 seats of Vidhan Sabha, they play a significant role in 30 to 35 seats.

Though the Fadnavis-led BJP-Shiv Sena government between 2014-19 had assured to work towards a category change, the government had announced several schemes and initiatives for Dhangars. 

In September, a man sprayed turmeric powder on state’s Revenue Minister and senior BJP leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil demanding reservations for the Dhangar community. 

Over the past couple of months, the demand is intensifying. 

In view of this, Shinde has formed a nine-member committee headed by IRS officer Sudhakar Shinde which has been assigned to travel  Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Telangana to study the methodology to grant reservation to Dhangar under ST category. 

Apart from the grant of ST status, the Dhangar community is demanding the conduct of a Caste Census and allotment of a plot for a memorial to the legendary Queen Ahilyabai Holkar in Jalna town.

Their other demands include: free hostel facilities for Dhangar community students in all district of the state, arms licence should be issued to shepherds who graze their flock in the forests, at least one government job per Dhangar family, loans at concessional rates through the government and setting up a corporation for Dhangar welfare with a corpus fund of Rs 10,000-crore.