Tribal Uproar in Gondia Over Dhangar ST Inclusion

Hundreds of tribals in Gondia protested on Monday against the Maharashtra government's potential inclusion of Dhangars in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category. They submitted a memorandum to the district collector, arguing that Dhangars are not tribals. The state plans to establish a panel to clarify the issue.

Hundreds of tribals in Gondia city staged protests on Monday, alleging that the Maharashtra government was attempting to include the Dhangar community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category.

Protesters submitted a memorandum to the district collector, arguing that Dhangars (shepherds) are not tribals and that their induction into the ST list would be unjust.

State minister Shambhuraj Desai recently announced that the Maharashtra government would form a panel of three IAS officers to determine whether 'Dhangar' and 'Dhangad' refer to the same community.

The Dhangars, a shepherd community from western Maharashtra and Marathwada, have been lobbying for ST inclusion, arguing that they have been excluded from the quota because the central database identifies 'Dhangad' but not 'Dhangar'. Currently, Dhangars are listed as a 'Nomadic Tribe'.

(With inputs from agencies.)