Dhangars stage protest to push ST status demand

NASHIK: Members of the Dhangar Samaj Aarakshan Kruti Samiti staged a protest at the district collectorate on Monday to push their demand for inclusion of the community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category.
Members sported black ribbons and submitted the requisition to the district collector. The members alleged that the state government was deliberately delaying decision regarding their demand, which has hurt the sentiments of the people in the community.
Members of Dhangar, a shepherd community, have been consistently seeking their inclusion in ST category claiming that the community was already listed in the Centre's ST list. They were only seeking implementation of the same in the state. They have threatened to boycott polls if the demand is not met.
The Dhangar community has reservation under Nomadic Tribes in the state and is the only caste under the banner enjoying 3.5% of reservation. The ST category, however, has 47 different tribes with reservation of 7% and the SC category has 59 castes with reservation of 13% in the 52% reservation in the state.
Bhaulal Tambde of the Samiti said that the issue has not been resolved since 1980, when the state government took back its recommendation to the central government that the community should be included in the ST category for reservations.
"The Centre has included ?Dhangad' in ST category and even the state government in the year 1976 had sent a letter to the central government saying that the ?Dhangar' in Maharashtra was same and ?Dhangad' and hence it be included in ST-fold. The government, however, withdrew its letter in 1980," he added.