The Dhangar (shepherd) community on Monday held a day-long protest in the state demanding reservation under the Scheduled Tribes category. Protests were held in districts such as Aurangabad, Solapur, Jalna, Nanded, Buldhana and Amravati under the banner of Dhangar Sangharsh Samiti Maharashtra Rajya (DSSMR). Dr Vikas Mahatme, a DSSMR leader who led the agitation in parts of Vidarbha region, said: “The day-long protest elicited good response in districts of Buldhana, Jalgaon, Washim, Nanded, Amravati, Jalna, Solpaur and Aurangabad.” The underlying factor was to ensure that the agitation passed off peacefully, he added. Mahatme said that the DSSMR believed that the government should quickly initiate the process to provide reservation to the community. “For the first time in the last six decades, the government has taken our demands seriously. Apart from addressing the issue of ST status, several other pressing demands related to livelihood are being pursued by the government,” he added. Before coming to power, the BJP had promised the community ST status. The same has also been approved by the state Cabinet. However, two years ago, the government had tasked the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) to study the tribal status of the Dhangars to ensure that reservation provided to would be able to stand legal and constitutional scrutiny. While 40 per cent of the community members have integrated with the mainstream population, the rest still rear sheep and goats, said Mahatme, a renowned ophthalmologist who has been conferred the Padma Shri. “Those living in rural Maharashtra are reluctant to explore other vocation, as there is no socio-economic security. The age old practice of rearing sheep and goats is considered an assured way to earn livelihood.,” he added. However, the bigger problems faced by the community are shrinking green pastures and grazing restrictions in forest areas across 27 of the 36 districts of Maharashtra. To address the concerns of the community, the government has introduced a pilot project in Buldhana and Jalgaon districts, where sizeable areas have been earmarked for tree plantation.
