DeQoded: 5 Things You Need to Know About the Maratha Protests

In the last month, lakhs of protesters have taken to the streets across the state of Maharashtra.

The Maratha protests did not erupt overnight. (Photo: The Quint)

From small towns of Maharashtra like Akola, Nanded, Beed and Satara to bigger ones like Ahmednagar, Jalgaon, Latur and Aurangabad, silent protesters have left their mark everywhere. Often, the lines of demonstrators are often several kilometers long.

In these disciplined and peaceful protests, the voices of lakhs of agitators unite as one as a slogan echoes through the streets- ‘Ek Marahta, Lakh Marath’ (‘One Maratha, Lakhs of Marathas’).

Some say that the Maratha protesters are severely dissatisfied with their politicians. Others claim that the state is being held hostage by a conflict between the Dalit and the Maratha community, with the latter displeased with the attitude of the former.

Did the Protests Erupt Overnight?

No. Observers claim that the conflict has been in the works for a month and a half now, with the state doing its best to suppress it. Politicos too did not give it much thought at first. However, ever since the Martha community turned out in the streets in massive numbers, following protests in Ahmednagar and Aurangabad, the corridors of power in the state have suffered a jolt.

Can the Agitation Be Traced Back to Any Particular Incident?

On 13-14 July, a teenaged Maratha girl set out to visit her grandparents in Kopardi village of Ahmednagar district and never came back. Shortly after that, her body was found in a field in the village. She had been raped and strangled to death. The culprits were identified as some Dalit men, inciting the Maratha community to unite and begin a mass agitation.

The question that follows is: Is a stray incident of crime enough to instigate a protest of such vast proportions?

Those who participate in the rallies have interesting tales to tell. They claim that there is no one particular face or leadership to unite their protests. A group of schoolchildren and college-going girls often lead the march and present their list of demands to the Collector. The Maratha community, including youths and students, form the bulk of the marchers. Bringing up the rear is a cleaning brigade that picks up after the protesters.

The protesters gather at the biggest public square or chowk in their respective towns and cities. The number of agitators at these marches has been estimated to be anywhere between 8-10 lakh. The protests are expected to continue till 15 October.

What Are the Demands of the Protesters?

• The first demand is that the two absconding rapists in the Kopardi gangrape case be given death sentences.
  
• Secondly, the protesters want the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, be amended since they feel that the Act in its current form is vulnerable to misuse.
  
• Like the Patidars of Gujarat and the Jats of Haryana, the Marathas of Maharashtra too want reservation in education and employment sectors.
• Marathas make up the majority of Maharashtra’s farmers. Thus, they seek the implementation of Dr Swaminathan’s report which recommends a loan waiver to farmers. This is their fourth demand.

The Dalit community understands and supports the Maratha demand for death penalty for the rapists. But we don’t understand how the gang-rape case entails amendments to the Atrocities Act.

The Marathas constitute over 30 percent of Maharashtra’s population. Of the state’s 18 chief ministers, 13 have been from this community. So why does this relatively well-off community feel itself at a disadvantage in the race towards development? Why does it feel the need for reservations?

If the Maratha demand for reservation feels reminiscent of the Patidar and Jat agitation, their problem is more or less similar too: problems in agriculture. That’s why these protests (although they have seen participation from urban members of the community) seek to highlight the problems faced by rural Maratha people whose livelihoods depend upon farming. Here are some relevant numbers:

• Nearly four crore Marathas live in Maharashtra. Sixty percent of them reside in rural regions and are primarily engaged in activities like farming.
  
• Only four percent of Maratha farmers own more than 20 acres of land.
• So, 90-95 percent of Maratha cultivators are either without land or barely have any. Often, they farm unirrigated land in extremely harsh conditions and are devoid of education. Their story is one of privation, their daily life a struggle.
  
• Of all the farmers who have committed suicide in Maharashtra, 90 percent belonged to the Maratha community.
  
• The Maratha farmers who have participated in these protest marches complain that they can’t get any jobs because they belong to the general category.

Can the Agitation Be Seen as a Protest Against Farmers’ Problems?

Yes. The difference between the retail prices of produce in the city and the prices offered to their producers is immense. The farmers earn little from rice or wheat sale. It has become difficult for them to send their kids to city schools on their farming income. Medical services too are becoming increasingly unaffordable. This is why the protesters are also demanding that education and healthcare be brought under the purview of the government and be made universally available. Organisations that are tackling the issue of farmers’ suicide have also lent their voices and support to the protests.

In the midst of one of the biggest protests that Maharashtra has ever seen, where are the political parties?

Are Political Parties Seeking to Gain Mileage out of It?

These massive protests have the regional political parties worried. All seem to be wary of a new Maratha icon rising up to claim leadership of the movement and becoming a parallel power to reckon with.

Such a thing is bound to upset the political dynamics of Maharashtra. This is why the Maratha-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress are worried, because they realise that protesters representing the rural Maratha community will not seek their help or leadership. They are proving themselves capable of peacefully conveying their message and demands to the state administration, without the help of middlemen.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a party seen as partial to Brahmins, is still reeling from the effects of the Patidar and Jat agitations and playing it safe. At a loss for a figure on whom to pin the protest, they seem to be biding their time.

The hand of the debt-ridden Maratha farming community has been forced by desperate circumstances. Unemployed youth stand in solidarity with them. Women and students lead their rallies. Till now, around 10 lakh people have marched in support of the Maratha cause. With more marches planned for October, the fervour doesn’t seem to be abating anytime soon. The biggest challenge for the Maratha community now will be to prevent their protests from turning into an all-out war with other communities or a platform for political games.