Maharashtra: Their demand for reservation in limbo, spread laid for Dhangars

  • | Wednesday | 19th June, 2019

Dhangar leaders claim Dhangars and Dhangads are the same and the term Dhangad is a "spelling mistake" that has deprived them of benefits. However, this demand is resisted by tribals, who claim Dhangars and Oraons are two distinct groups. "The government is committed to all round development of the Dhangar community who have been away from mainstream for all these years. The government intends to implement 22 schemes for development of Dhangar community on the lines of tribal community," said Mungantiwar in his budget speech. This includes making land available for sheep husbandry for landless Dhangar families or insurance for sheep and financial assistance on grant basis for purchase of land.

While their demand to be classified as tribals is yet to be recognised, the state government went all out to placate the powerful Dhangar (shepherd) community by announcing a slew of measures for their welfare. In his Budget speech on Tuesday, Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said the government would make land available for landless Dhangar families to graze sheep, give doles for purchase of land and commission scholarships for foreign education. At present, dhangars, who are pastoral sheep herders with a significant number also engaged in agriculture, are in the nomadic tribes (NT-C) category with 3.5% quotas, but claim to be tribals. Their demand hinges on the presence of 'Dhangad/ Oraons' in the ST list. Dhangar leaders claim Dhangars and Dhangads are the same and the term Dhangad is a "spelling mistake" that has deprived them of benefits. However, this demand is resisted by tribals, who claim Dhangars and Oraons are two distinct groups. Before the 2014 Lok Sabha and state assembly elections, the BJP had promised to include Dhangars in the scheduled tribes (ST) category without eating into the share of benefits for tribals. With the state assembly polls due later this year, the BJP-Shiv Sena government wants to placate the restive Dhangars, many of whom went with the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA). While Maharashtra has the highest number of tribals in India, Dhangars are said to be second in numbers at 12-15% after the Maratha-Kunbi caste cluster (31.5%). These demographic considerations have caught the BJP-led state government in a bind, especially after a report by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences pointed out there were few similarities between Dhangars and Dhangad/ Oraons. "The government is committed to all round development of the Dhangar community who have been away from mainstream for all these years. The government intends to implement 22 schemes for development of Dhangar community on the lines of tribal community," said Mungantiwar in his budget speech. This includes making land available for sheep husbandry for landless Dhangar families or insurance for sheep and financial assistance on grant basis for purchase of land. "Scheme for students deprived from hostel admission, Swadhar scheme for meritorious students, admission in renowned English medium schools in the city, scholarship schemes for foreign education, are under consideration. Apart from this, it is the resolve of the Government to bring Dhangar community in the mainstream by constructing 10,000 homes in the first phase for homeless persons in this society and making available some other special facilities," he added, stating that an outlay of Rs 1,000 crore would be made available for this. This provision will have no impact on the funds reserved for tribals. The budget has also proposed an outlay of Rs 2,814.71 crore for sections like OBCs, VJNT and special backwards. Though Dhangars have a quota, leaders say including them in the ST category will entitle them to better educational and job opportunities. The demand is resisted by tribals, who claim this will deprive them of funds, quotas in jobs, education and even politics, and gradually alienate adivasis of their land by making these fresh entrants eligible to purchase it.

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