Forward of the Maharashtra Meeting elections, the Dhangar group is experiencing inner divisions with out a central management or a unified agenda. Many leaders who beforehand labored to consolidate the group in the course of the 2014 and 2019 elections at the moment are gravitating towards totally different political events. Because of this, the group views this election as primarily centered on native points slightly than on subjects just like the inclusion of the Dhangar group within the Scheduled Tribes (ST) class or securing assured pastoral rights.
On Monday, Nationalist Congress Social gathering (SP) MLA Rohit Pawa filed his nomination for re-election from the Kartaj Jamkhed constituency in Ahilyanagar (Ahmednagar). He was accompanied by Shrimant Bhushanraje Holkar, a descendant of the Holkar dynasty of Indore. The symbolism of this occasion was important, because the Dhangar group has a considerable presence within the constituency. Pawar is up towards the BJP’s Ram Shinde, who additionally belongs to the Dhangar group.
Gopichand Padalkar, a dynamic chief from the group, is contesting from the Jat constituency in Satara district on a BJP ticket.
Mahadev Jankar, one other senior chief, was fielded by the BJP from the Parbhani seat in the course of the Lok Sabha elections however misplaced to Sanjay Jadhav of Shiv Sena (UBT) by greater than 1,00,000 votes.
In accordance with Sourabh Hatkar, a PhD scholar on the College of Edinburgh and founding father of the Mendpal Putra Military (Sons of Shepherds Military—an organisation representing the Dhangar group), the scene was a lot totally different in 2014 and 2019.
“Again then, the group was united in its demand for inclusion inside the Scheduled Tribes (ST) group. Leaders like Jankar and Padalkar took the initiative, with Jankar serving because the chief in 2014 and Padalkar capturing consideration in 2019,” he stated.
Padalkar contested the Lok Sabha elections from the Sangli seat and obtained important votes. Jankar served as a minister within the Devendra Fadnavis-led authorities, whereas Padalkar held the place of member of the Legislative Council (MLC). Dattatreya Bharne, the sitting MLA affiliated with the NCP (Ajit Pawar) from Indapur, can also be from the Dhangar group. Nonetheless, he has primarily centered on the politics of Indapur and has not taken a outstanding function within the broader politics of the Dhangar group.
The Dhangar group makes up about 10 per cent of Maharashtra’s inhabitants, primarily concentrated in Western Maharashtra and sure districts of Vidarbha. Within the state, they’re categorised as a part of the Vimukta Jati and Nomadic Tribes (VJNT), however they’ve been advocating for inclusion within the Scheduled Tribe (ST) class. The group primarily consists of pastoral shepherds and can also be present in different states, together with Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. In accordance with group leaders, the Dhangars are known as “Dhangads” in different elements of India, the place they’re recognised as a part of the ST group.
Along with looking for reservation, the group additionally requests the appropriate to pastoral land, a motion led by Hatkar. Hatkar emphasised that the group’s conventional pastoral routes have been taken over by the reserve forests. Because of this, the forest division has filed circumstances towards individuals who sometimes stray into the protected forests.
“Just a few days earlier than the Mannequin Code of Conduct was introduced, the state authorities fashioned a committee to deal with this demand, nevertheless it was too late to make any selections,” he stated. Each main calls for stay unresolved, and Hatkar famous that the dearth of cohesive management could be a problem in the course of the elections.
“Native points and management will finally decide voting decisions; cohesion is now missing,” Hatkar added.
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