Why Dhangars’ long-pending quota demand remains a complex issue in Maharashtra

BJP MLC Gopichand Padalkar, who hails from the community and was at the forefront of the agitation in the past, said, “The Bahujan Samaj that worships Lord Khandoba uses turmeric powder. It is called bhandara in local parlance. It has its own sanctity and religious significance. If anybody is misusing bhandara for a political agenda or attacking a minister, it is highly condemnable. Dhangars’ battle for ST reservation is being legally fought. We have full support from our government. Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis is committed to the cause.”

What is the dhangar reservation demand?

Under the banner of the Maharashtra State Dhangar Welfare Association, the community has been demanding reservation under the ST category. The Dhangars account for up to nine per cent of the state population.

The community, under the name Dhangad, gets ST reservation elsewhere in the country. In Maharashtra, the community got listed as Dhangar owing to a typographical error. As a result, the community was excluded from the ST category.

The state has witnessed massive agitations led by Dhangar leaders such as Prakash Shendge, Rashtriya Samaj Paksha president Mahadeo Jankar and Gopichand Padalkar.

Over the years, both the Congress-NCP and the Shiv Sena-BJP governments have faced the community’s wrath over the pending ST reservation demand.

At present the Dhangars get reservation under the Vimukta Jati and nomadic tribe category C in Maharashtra, where the total reservation is 52 per cent. Of this, Scheduled Castes get 13 per cent, Scheduled Tribes 7 per cent, Other Backward Classes 19 per cent, Special Backward Classes 2 per cent, Vimukta Jatis 3 per cent, nomadic tribe B (2.5 per cent, nomadic tribe C (dhangar) 3.5 per cent and nomadic tribe D (vanjari) 2 per cent.

The biggest hurdle to including Dhangars in the ST category is the opposition from tribal leaders.

Tribal leaders and legislators cutting across party lines have come together to oppose inclusion of Dhangars in the ST category. Their argument is that the ST reservation is just 7 per cent, while the Dhangars already have a 3.5 per cent quota. If Dhangars are counted as STs, they will corner 3.5 per cent of the quota, the tribal leaders argue.

Tribal voters and their representation in the Assembly and the Lok Sabha are politically significant. Out of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state, five are reserved for Scheduled Castes and four for Scheduled Tribes. Out of the 288 Assembly seats, 29 are for SCs and 25 for STs. Neither ruling nor the mainstream Opposition parties have been able to ignore their apprehensions.

With a sizeable presence in western Maharashtra, part of north Maharashtra and the Marathwada region, Dhangars are also a force to reckon with. When he was the state BJP president, Fadnavis had declared that his government would resolve the Dhangar reservation issue on priority. In November 2014, Fadnavis became chief minister and entrusted the Tata Institute of Social Sciences with preparing a report on the issue.

In 2019, Fadnavis was relegated to the Opposition after the Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Uddhav Thackeray took the reins of the government.

During the MVA government’s 2.5-year tenure, the Dhangar issue resurfaced.

Now it’s the turn of the Eknath Shinde-led coalition of three parties to confront the pending demand. The government is already grappling with the Maratha community’s protests seeking OBC reservation.

Apart from reservation, Dhangars have listed several demands between 2014 and 2018. These include scholarships and hostels for Dhangar students and dedicated pastures for grazing.

In 2018, when the Dhangar agitation was at its peak, the cabinet led by chief minister Fadnavis set aside Rs 1,000 crore for various welfare schemes for the community. Of this, Rs 500 crore was sanctioned in the budget.