A social activist on Friday filed a public interest litigation seeking a direction for the state to provide reservations to members of the Dhangar community in jobs and education.
A social activist on Friday filed a public interest litigation seeking a direction for the state to provide reservations to members of the Dhangar community in jobs and education.
Pune-based social activist Hemant Patil’s petition contended that the Dhangar community, whose members have traditionally survived on rearing of cattle, was in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list in Maharashtra but was never considered by the government for reservation in jobs and education in the ST category.
Mr Patil had filed a PIL seeking separate reservation for the community in the state. Even as this PIL is pending in the high court, Mr Patil has gone ahead and filed another petition seeking reservation for the community.
The petitioner's lawyer R.N. Kachave contended that on July 12 he had made a representation to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis seeking implementation of reservation for the shepherd community.
The PIL said that the ST list was amended as per the recommendations of the Kalekar committee report and currently, the community gets reservation under the Nomadic Tribe category only.
The ST list of the then Madhya Pradesh at serial number 26 listed Dhangar community without referring to any particular district or tehsil. This meant that Dhangar community from Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and some parts of Maharashtra were included in the ST category.
According to the petitioner, the ST list of the then Bombay (now Maharashtra) at serial number 27 listed Dhangars without referring to any area which meant that members of the community from the entire state were included in the ST category. He also said that on May 1, 1960, Gujarat and Maharashtra became separate states and the ST list of Maharashtra showed the community at serial number 27. However, till date, the community has not been given reservation.
