Why Banjara community in Maharashtra is demanding ST status
The Banjara community in Maharashtra is demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, pointing to old Hyderabad Gazetteer records that listed them as STs during the Nizam's rule.
Their campaign picked up after Marathas with Kunbi ties got OBC reservation.
Banjaras have held hunger strikes in Jalna and plan a big protest on September 15, hoping for better access to education and jobs.
Complications of reservation system in Maharashtra
This demand turned urgent after a 32-year-old Banjara man died by suicide, leaving a note asking for ST recognition—putting a human face on the struggle.
While NCP leaders back the Banjaras, some tribal leaders from Shiv Sena and Congress worry their own quotas could shrink.
The debate highlights just how complicated Maharashtra's reservation system has become, with different groups competing for limited opportunities and tensions rising as elections approach.