Now, Dalits plan morchas to counter Marathas

Indicating rising social tensions in Maharashtra, Dalits and non-Marathas are planning to retaliate with morchas of their own against similar protests by the dominant Maratha community.

The 'Maratha Kranti Morchas' organised to protest the gangrape and murder of a girl from the community at Kopardi in Ahmednagar had also demanded an "end to misuse" of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and quota in jobs and education for Marathas.

Despite these massive morchas being peaceful, they have led to fear among Dalits, especially Neo-Buddhists (erstwhile Mahars who converted to Buddhism with Babasaheb Ambedkar), as one of the Kopardi accused is a Dalit.

Dalits and non-Marathas are now trying to counter-mobilise through similar protests. Incidentally, Bharatiya Republican Paksha - Bahujan Mahasangh (BRP - BMS) leader and Ambedkar's grandson Prakash Ambedkar has warned against such protests while union minister Ramdas Athavale said his party will organise a programme for 'Dalit-Maratha unity'.

While the Maratha-Kunbi caste cluster is said to account for around 31.5% of Maharashtra's population, Dalits and tribals form around 14% and 9.4% respectively.

"These Maratha morchas have been organised as a show of strength and have demanded that a law which protects the oppressed (be watered down)... this has caused growing insecurity and culminated in counter-morchas," charged BJP Rajya Sabha MP Amar Sable.

Sable had earlier alleged that the Maratha protests were planned and funded by the opposition NCP-Congress, aimed at destabilising the state government led by a non-Maratha (chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is a Brahmin) and mitigate the threat to senior NCP leaders being probed for graft.

Sable, however, praised Maratha organisations for showing restraint in their protests.

"There is fear. Dalits in villages and taluka places have to face taunts," alleged Pappu Kagade of the Republican Party of India (Athavale) youth wing, who is involved in planning for a morcha of Dalits and tribals at Beed on October 15 to seek that the atrocity Act be strengthened, its misuse be prevented and that Kopardi accused be given capital punishment. Similar morchas are planned later at Nanded, Parbhani and Ahmednagar with other communities like OBCs also willing to pitch in.

"We have faced caste violence. But we never protested against a community but against the accused," said Kagade, adding that non-Marathas were under pressure. He, however, admitted that some upper-castes used Dalits to lodge false cases against their rivals under the atrocity Act.

Sumedh Gaikwad of the People's Republican Party (PRP) led by MLC Jogendra Kawade said Dalit, tribal and minority groups would take out a march in Ahmednagar on September 23 and at Jamkhed in the district the following day. He noted that while some Dalit leaders had called on their cadre to stay away from these morchas, activists were participating "to keep Babasaheb's movement alive".

Vijay Wakode of the Republican Sena said an 'Aakrosh morcha' at Parbhani next month would demand that cases of atrocities and crime against women be fast-tracked.

Surendra Jondhale, professor, department of civics and politics, University of Mumbai, noted that Dalit leaders like Prakash Ambedkar had taken "an objective and rational position" to refrain from organising such morchas as this may lead to tensions and violence against weaker sections.

Maratha leaders admit that factors like discontent over the community's depiction in Marathi movie 'Sairat', persistent agrarian distress, creeping urbanisation with its changing social mores, lack of occupational flexibility and the inability to reconcile with quota-fueled upward mobility of castes hitherto lower in the social pyramid have also lit the keg.

Ironically, Marathas have dominated the socio-political scene in Maharashtra, accounting for most of elected representatives and chief ministers. Maratha leaders also control the cooperative sector in the state.