Interestingly, this will be preceded by an awareness campaign about the morcha which will also seek at dissuading Marathas from accepting dowry
The Maratha community will re-launch its protests for its demands like quotas in jobs and education and remunerative pricing for farmers by organising a morcha in Mumbai on August 9. Interestingly, this will be preceded by an awareness campaign about the morcha which will also seek at dissuading Marathas from accepting dowry.
Rajendra Kondhare of the Akhil Bharatiya Maratha Mahasangh, who is one of the organisers of the 'Maratha Kranti Morcha,' said they would also administer an oath to community members at Raigad on June 6 on staying united to take the protests to their logical end. June 6 commemorates Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's coronation ceremony on the fort, which was the capital of the erstwhile Maratha empire. The participants will also vow to keep the protests violence free and stay away from targeting other communities.
"On August 9, we will organise a silent Maratha Kranti Morcha in Mumbai to press for our demands like reservations for Marathas in jobs and education, preventing misuse of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, accepting the recommendations of the M.S Swaminathan committee for remunerate pricing for agricultural produce and better educational facilities and hostels for students," he added.
"We will tour the state later to create awareness in the prople and lay down a constructive program for the Maratha community, details of which are being worked out," said Kondhare, adding that they would also launch a campaign calling on people to stop taking dowry.
In April, Sheetal Vayal, a daughter of a farmer from Latur had committed suicide as her financially distressed farmer father was unable to afford her wedding expenses.
The co-ordinators of the Maratha Kranti Morcha will met at Kopardi in Ahmednagar on July 13 to pay their respects to the girl from the community who was gangraped and murdered there. "The Kopardi incident was the spark that lit the fire and we will pay our tributes to her on the first anniversary of the incident," said Dilip Patil, one of the organisers of the morcha. The rape and murder was one of the catalysts for the state-wide protests.
The previous plans for the Mumbai morcha were postponed due to examinations and the local body elections. Patil said they would call on Marathas to stop taking dowry and boycott the marriages of those who persisted with this social evil. Those who stay away from taking dowry will also be commended in public.
SOME DEMANDS
- Some demands: Death for the accused who raped a Maratha girl at Kopardi in Ahmednagar, recommendations of the M.S Swaminathan committee for remunerate pricing for agri produce, quotas for Marathas in jobs and education, preventing misuse of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
- A total of 58 morchas have been held in Maharashtra and outside states including Vadodara (Gujarat), Indore (Madhya Pradesh) and Belgaum and Bijapur (Karnataka). The silent morchas attended by lakhs have stood out due to their unique method of protest.
- The Maratha- Kunbi caste cluster is said to account for around 31.5% of Maharashtra's population. These protests have led to counter marches by sections like OBCs and Dalits who feel threatened at this show of strength.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Maratha community")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}