Dhangars are losing their cool, says PIL

Mumbai: A petition has been filed in the Bombay high court to give reservation to the Dhangar community and give it the status of scheduled tribe (ST). In Maharashtra, the Dhangar community falls under the category of 'vimukta jati and nomadic tribes' (VJNT). Hemant Patil, president of NGO India against Corruption, filed the petition.

The petition stated that the Dhangar community is originally a backward community. A division bench of Justices R.V. More and Anuja Prabhudessai has kept the hearing for September 6. The petitioner stated that on July 12, 2016, he made a presentation to the chief minister and protested in front of the Vidhan Bhavan. He stated that Dhangad community exists in Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand and some parts of Maharashtra and Dhangad and Dhangar represent the same community.  

The petitioner alleged that in the last Parliamentary election, the BJP had promised that if the party comes into power the Dhangar community would get reservation.

The petitioner also brought to the notice of the court that the patience of the Dhangar community is coming to an end and they may law and order in their own hands.

He reminded the court of the incident when Congress MLA Harshawardhan Patil went to meet Dhangar community members during the Conress-NCP government and ink was thrown at him.

The petitioner said the state government had appointed Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) to study the economic and social status of the Dhangar community, but after getting the report the state is avoiding any decision.