Striking for identity and inclusion 

It has been over three weeks since the Dhangar community in Maharashtra has started a fast-unto-death agitation in Pandharpur for a Scheduled Tribe reservation, claiming they are the Dhangad community already listed in the Constitution. Vinaya Deshpande Pandit visits Solapur district to understand the political ramifications of the State’s second largest community in the upcoming Assembly elections

Ganesh Keskar is miffed after reading the headline, ‘Dhangar agitation in Maharashtra to seek reservation as STs.’ “Please don’t spread rumours about our agitation. We are not agitating to be included in the ST (Scheduled Tribe) list (of the Indian Constitution). Why is the government, the media saying this about our agitation?” says Ganesh, an architect by profession, and the first of his nomadic family to settle down and start a business. He says the community, that he claims has at least 2 crore members, is seeking a recognition that the Dhangars are actually Dhangads, already classified as a Scheduled Tribe. Government sources claim there are no more than 1 crore Dhangars in Maharashtra.

Ganesh is at the Tilak Smarak Maidan, in the middle of the old city of Pandharpur, Solapur district, Maharashtra. Here, 350 km away from Mumbai, India’s financial capital, six men are in the third week of their hunger strike demanding reservation under the ST category. Ganesh from Satara, Vijay Tamnar from Rahuri, Mauli Halanvar from Pandharpur, Deepak Borade from Jalna, Yashwant Gayke from Beed, and Yogesh Dharam from Ambegaon.

Claiming to be Maharashtra’s second largest community after the Marathas, the Dhangars are spread across Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, Goa, and Karnataka. In the context of Maharashtra’s Assembly election to be held this year, the community claims to hold sway in 92 of the 288 constituencies.

Setting the stage

The stage is replete with Dhangar iconography, yellow being prominent. It denotes the colour of the clan’s deity Khandoba. Fans whir on the stage; plastic bottles of water lie carelessly around. There is always some action to keep up the momentum. If nothing else, the young community members make reels of the agitators, weak from not eating or drinking anything. They add sad or compassionate songs to the videos before they put them out.

The striking men meet and greet community visitors and the rare VIP who walks in to support them. Shahajibapu Patil, ruling Sena MLA and Dr. Vikas Mahatme, president of AIIMS, Nagpur, have paid visits. Sometimes, community members are overwhelmed and break down when family members visit from different parts of Maharashtra. Some bring along their cattle, some their instruments. Some play for them; some cheer for them. Someone’s mother holds their faces and cries for the cause.

On a humid day when the rains have made the ground muddy, speeches continue on the public announcement system. Some sit quietly on the red chairs placed in front of the stage. They clap dutifully after the speeches. “On a daily basis, there is a walk-in crowd of 4,000 to 4,500 people,” says Amol Karande, the district coordinator and State reservation committee member for Dhangar reservation.

The photographs of community icons hang behind the protesters: the founder of the Holkar dynasty in the 18th century, Malharrao Holkar; Yashwantrao Holkar from the 19th century. On the banner of agitation are photographs of social reformer Shahu Maharaj, Dalit hero Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, social reformer Mahatma Phule, community leaders B.K. Kokre and Shivajibapu Shendge. A bust of the Maratha queen Ahilyabai Holkar, the builder of temples, is placed prominently on stage.

A few hundred metres away, on the banks of the Chandrabhaga river, is the temple of Lord Vitthal, believed to be a reincarnation of Krishna; and Rakhumai, his consort. For over 800 years, devotees have been walking for several kilometres every year during the Hindu month of Ashadh, in the monsoon, to meet their beloved ‘Vithu mauli (mother)’. People come from across the world to the spot the god they believe becomes a doting, forgiving mother at this time. The crowds see the spectacle of the protest.

Old idea, new bottle

The demand for Dhangar reservation is not new in Maharashtra. It has been made several times since independence, and it has been struck down by the courts of law, by study committees, and by governments. What is new is the claim of being already included, because of a twist in the name.

In 2013, Maharashtra saw one of the biggest Dhangar agitations. Then, Leader of the Opposition Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena leader Subhash Desai had gone to the agitation location in Baramati to promise the protesters in writing that they would clear Dhangar reservation in the first cabinet meeting if they were voted to power. The BJP-Sena government was voted in that year, but the parties forgot the community which put them on the ‘throne’, says the community.

In parts of Maharashtra, politicians admit that Dhangars cannot be ignored, but the community itself has not united. “The government has been positive. We expect that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will issue the Government Resolution (that declares that Dhangads should be read as Dhangars),” says Mauli, a BJP leader himself.

However, previous study reports had concluded that Oraon Dhangads (also tribespeople) and Dhangars are different communities. The Constitution already has a list of 45 tribes. Oroan Dhangad is number 36 on this. As per the 1971 census data, there was only one Oroan Dhangad in Chandrapur-Gadchiroli.

In 1965, the B.N. Lokur committee had set out well-defined criteria for assigning Scheduled Tribe status. Five criteria were given: ancient lifestyle, geographical isolation, distinct culture, shyness in behaviour, backwardness, particularly economical. Several committees formed thereafter have concluded that the Dhangars don’t fit into these criteria.

The customs, traditions, and deities of Oraon Dhangads and Dhangars differ. The Dhangars are not isolated from the rest of the society; neither are they shy. Hence, they did not fulfil the conditions of belonging to the Scheduled Tribe community.

When asked about this, the agitators get up from their beds. “Where are these Dhangad then? The community has been mentioned in the list for Maharashtra, which means they should have been here to claim the benefit. When Marathas started agitating for reservation under OBC quota, the OBCs of the State stood up against them. Why aren’t the Dhangads standing against us?” asks Deepak, who hails from Jalna. He resigned an assistant police inspector to be a part of the Dhangar reservation protest, say members of the coordination committee.

Meanwhile, the Dhangars have reservations under the OBC category. They get 3.5% reservation as nomadic tribes. The community feels threatened after the Maratha agitation for reservation. They feel if Marathas are given Kunbi certificates under the OBC category, they will likely end up with a larger share in the OBC seats in government education institutions and jobs. The OBCs enjoy reservation in local self-government, but not at the State and Central elections, unlike the SCs and STs.

The Maharashtra government has now formed a nine-member committee under Indian Revenue Service officer Sudhakar Shinde to look into the matter of the Dhangar reservation. It will travel to the other States where Dhangars are, before submitting its report. Government sources indicate that the issue is complex, and that Dhangar reservation issue is being seen ‘sensitively’.

On September 14, a man attempted to take his life in support of the cause. The protesters rushed him to the hospital and he was saved. That was the sixth day of the indefinite hunger strike. After this incident, the six protesters kept appealing to all the visitors not to take any extreme step. “We all stand for the same cause, but your life is precious. Don’t do this,” is an announcement made daily.

Those with him say the community needs protection under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. “We get beaten up often; the village ruffians steal our sheep. We have no protection, nobody we can seek help from,” says a supporter who has walked in a while ago.

Preposterous,’ say STs

Through recorded history, Dhangars have not been considered tribals. In the 19th century, social reformer Mahatma Phule had said in the book Shetkaryacha Asud that Dhangars were a part of Kunbis. The Tribes and Castes of Bombay published by the British in 1922 did not list the community. In 1945 Babasaheb Ambedkar had said in Bahishkrut Bharat that Dhangars are a caste of Kshatriyas.

Madhav Sarkunde, who describes himself as a “tribal writer poet and social activist”, says, “Article 366(25) of the Constitution has clearly stated who should be called a tribal. After the 2017 Supreme Court judgement which goes against the Dhangar demand, a contempt of court can be filed against any government which issues a GR for giving ST reservation,” says.

He explains that in 1979, the Government of Maharashtra had made the same demand to the Centre. The Centre had sent back the proposal saying this demand cannot be fulfilled. “In 2002, when the matter came up in Parliament, it was concluded that there was no similarity between Dhangad and Dhangar, and that there was no printing error,” says Madhav.

Thereafter, the Sudhir Joshi Committee of 1995 too had concluded that Dhangars are not tribals. Shripad Dange, who played a leading role in the Indian Communist movement, was part of that committee.

Sanjay Dabhade, State committee member of National Forum for Tribal Rights says this is nothing but a political ploy. “The OBC castes feel that they should get reservation under SC-ST categories as there are bigger constitutional benefits. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had himself started these politics in 2014. STs claim that the PM had said in his poll speeches in Maharashtra in 2014 that Dhangars be given reservation. Then Fadnavis promised them reservation, thereby increasing their aspirations,” he says.

The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) committee of 2019, asked to establish whether Dhangars could fit the criteria of STs, has not yet made its report public.

Tribal MLAs have also come together under the leadership of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly’s Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal to oppose the Dhangar agitation. “Let them prove legally how they are one of us,” Zirwal said recently.

Published - September 29, 2024 07:22 pm IST