Quota for Dhangars: Maha tribal leaders jump from 3rd floor into Mantralaya's safety net in protest

Mumbai: A group of seven to eight tribal legislators from ruling and Opposition parties led by the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal on Friday jumped from the third floor into the safety net erected at the Mantralaya to protest against the state government’s move to provide reservation to the Dhangar community from the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category.

They were also opposed to the state government’s proposal to release a government resolution treating Dhangars and Dhangads as one and the same.

The shocking incident took place when the state Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was underway on the 7th floor of the Mantralaya. They also threw some papers during their protest.

Zirwal, who was accompanied by Kiran Lahamte, Hiraman Kosekar and Sunil Bhusara and BJP MP Hemant Sahara were angry over Chief Minister Shinde not giving them time for discussion and taking them into confidence on a politically-sensitive issue of providing reservation to the Dhangar community from the ST category.

They said that despite waiting for more than seven hours on Thursday, the Chief Minister did not turn up for the meeting.

As the legislators were shouting slogans while sitting in the safety net, the police had a tough time bringing them to the nearest floor.

Senior police officers were seen trying to convince them, but the legislators were quite adamant.

The protest by the tribal legislators and MP caught the police unawares and they had to mobilise personnel quickly to take further action.

The Mantralaya staff gathered in large numbers to see the protest by the legislators and MP. The tribal legislators were insisting that their fight would continue till they get justice.

They were also demanding that the state government recruit tribal youth under the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act, 1996.

Zirwal, who was quite agitated, broke into tears and said, “We have taken this step in the larger interest of the tribal community and also of the children whose future should not go waste. We are tribals first and legislators or MPs later.”

Zirwal said although the tribal youth were recruited under the PESA Act, most of them were told to go home citing they would not be able to stay at work.

He added that nearly 6,500 such youths were currently protesting outside the homes of the tribal legislators asking them to help them or face the consequences.

Zirwal’s Blood Pressure in the meanwhile shot up, forcing the police to rope in a team of doctors for his treatment.

After much convincing, the protesting legislators and MPs were brought to the second floor by the police personnel.

However, they were not in a mood to leave the floor as they launched a sit in protest while shouting slogans.