Maratha Rallies: The Silent Marches That Are Creating an Uproar

The Maratha community has been carrying out silent, non-violent protests across the state with increasing numbers.

Maratha Community members holding a protest rally demanding reservation and justice for Kopardi rape victim in Maharashtra on Monday. (Photo: PTI)

After holding protests in various districts of Maharashtra, members of the Maratha community on Sunday held a silent march in Pune to press for their demands. Lakhs of people, including men and women, students, working professionals, lawyers and doctors from the community, participated in the march, under the umbrella of ‘Maratha Kranti Muk Morcha’.

The agitation continued for three hours as protesters marched from Deccan Gymkhana to Council hall, where six girls submitted a memorandum and charter of demands to Pune District Collector Saurabh Rao.

The community has been holding marches in different districts to press for their demands, including:

• punishment of culprits in Kopardi rape and murder case,
  
• quota in education and government jobs,
  
• Amendment in SC, ST (Prevention of Atrocities Act) to stop its misuse,
  
• loan waiver to farmers to curb suicides,
  
• and guaranteed rate for agricultural produce.
  

Reservation for Maratha community is one of the main demands of protesters. (Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@24hindinews)

Marathas form 34 percent of Maharashtra’s population. The protesters follow a strict code of conduct that shuns sloganeering and violence. (Photo Courtesy: Yogesh Deshmukh)

After the brutal rape and murder of a girl in Kopardi, there is anger in the community, and with the huge silent marches being organised sans political leaders state-wide, the government must take cognisance of the demands of the community.

Part of Charter of Demands submitted to the District Collector of Pune

People participate in Maratha Kranti Morcha protest against Kopardi rape case, in Pune on Sunday. (Photo Courtesy: PTI)

Though organisers claimed that Sunday’s march had a record footfall of 30 lakh, police said eight to 10 lakh people, mainly from rural areas, participated in the march.

The march was executed by the organisers in a disciplined manner and it ended within two to three hours with no untoward incident

A senior police official

The Trigger

A 15-year-old girl, belonging to Maratha community, in Kopardi in Ahmednagar district was allegedly raped and brutally murdered by three Dalit men in July. The Maratha community, which is pre-dominant in state politics, has been taking out silent marches in various towns in the state over the last one month, following the Kopardi incident.

Also, community leaders have been demanding scrapping of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, saying it is grossly misused, along with reservations for Marathas in educational institutes and government jobs.

Lakhs Converge at Pune Rally

Rajendra Kondhare, one of the organisers of the Maratha Kranti Morcha at Pune, said several people, who had come from outside the city, could not reach the starting point as they got stuck midway due to huge crowd on the roads.

A Maratha community member, who participated in the march, said:

Though the entire march was conducted peacefully and with complete discipline, we have sent our demands to the government loud and clear.

NCP MP from Satara Udayan Raje Bhosale, party MLA Dilip Walse Patil, Pune MP Anil Shirole were among those who took part in the march.

Noted athlete from Satara Lalita Babar also participated.

Earlier, the Maratha rallies in Aurangabad, Navi Mumbai, Akola, Latur and Nanded, Nashik, Osmanabad, Ahmednagar also drew huge crowds.

(With inputs from PTI.)

Video Editor: Mohd Irshad Alam