Maratha protest not anti-Dalit: Organisers

Against a perception that the ongoing Maratha protests are anti-Dalit, a charter of demands by the community says it is more about supporting farmers, amending a few clauses in the Atrocity Act and reservation in education and jobs for the Marathas. The community wants to amend provisions in the Atrocities Act like registering the crime without preliminary inquiry, making provision for bail and strict action to be taken for registering false atrocity cases. It has also asked the government to implement the Swaminathan Commission’s report to curb farmers’ suicide and give minimum support price for the agricultural produce.

The first demand of the Maratha protests is securing justice for the Kopardi rape victim. Describing the need of amending The SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989, the charter has given a list of sections that are troubling the other communities. “Our opposition is for misusing the Act for threatening the people and provision of bail to be made. The response to the protests is growing because there is a sentiment among the people about its misuse,” said Rajendra Kondhare, general secretary of Akhil Bhartiya Maratha Mahasangh.

“Section 3 (p)(q)(r)(s) and (t)(q)(r) of the Act have been used for registering false cases and hence should be cancelled. In the amended Act, section 4 (2) b gives permission to register the crime without any preliminary inquiry. The accused can be arrested as per the section 6 and this has been grossly misused. There has to be a provision for bail. The victims should be given compensation only after proving the atrocity,” the charter said.

Aiming to put a stop to the farmer suicides, it said the government should implement the report by the Swaminathan Committee. \"The government should fix minimum support price for the agriculture produce considering production cost plus 25 per cent profit. If the market gives less price than the minimum support price then the government should buy the farmers' produce. At present the government's support price is not reasonable,\" it said.