The Kopardi rape and murder of a minor Maratha girl was the trigger that led to the morchas
The Maratha community's mukh morcha (silent rallies) against the Kopardi rape and murder case in Nanded, on Sunday, witnessed a crowd of over 25 lakh people. The community is hoping for a target of over one crore in the Mumbai morcha that is likely to happen in October.
So why is the un-organised Maratha community mobilising against the BJP-led government? The Maratha community is the majority caste in Maharashtra, having never taken to the streets to fight for its own rights in several years. This kind of mobilisation is happening after 250 years. The Kopardi rape and murder of a minor Maratha girl was the trigger that led to the morchas against their suppression. The unrest among the community has been present for a long time. Various demands were placed through these rallies such as reservation for Marathas, amendment in the Atrocity Act etc.
The Maratha community is mostly the agrarian community, whose livelihood is based on agricultural activities. In the last two years, due to scanty rainfall, farmers faced huge financial crisis, leading to more farmers suicides. Also, less opportunities in government service for the youth, due to various reasons has led to unemployment.
Moreover, whatever the farmer produced, the rates of their crops started falling. This year, ahead of the harvest, the green gram rate was Rs9,000 per quintal. Now, the rates have suddenly crashed and come down to Rs 4,500 per quintal.
It was the same in the case of onions. In the last two years, not a single crop's rate went up. Farmers had no government support which caused more anger against the government and its wrong policies.
The BJP government, after coming to power, immediately awarded the 'Maharashtra Bhushan' award to Babasaheb Purandhare despite Maratha community opposition. They said that Mr Purandhare had painted Chhatrapati Shivaji's history in Brahaminical angle. Even after the Sambhaji Brigade, youth organisation of the Maratha community, protested against the government's decision. Fadnavis went ahead and awarded Mr Purandhare recently.
Moreover, the Congress-NCP was ruling Maharashstra for 15 years, and both parties are dominated by Maratha leadership. Now, the BJP government is led by a Brahamin chief minister, Devendra Fadnavis so the Maratha leaders and community are feeling out of power suddenly.
Moreover, most of the Bahujan leaders in BJP, like Eknath Khadse, Pankaja Munde, Vinod Tawde who were aspirants for the chief minister's post are systematically downsized by the incumbent chief minister. So, these leaders and their workers are directly and indirectly supporting the Maratha community's morchas to make history. No one, including NCP chief and Maratha leader, Sharad Pawar knows what the conclusion of this silent revolution will be, and where it will end.
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