Matang Community Holds March In Parbhani Demanding Sub-Classification Of Scheduled Castes

Parbhani: Hundreds of members of the Matang community took out a march in Parbhani on Monday demanding the immediate sub-classification of Scheduled Castes into categories A, B, C and D.

The march was organised by members of the Sakal Matang community. It began at the statue of Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe and concluded at the District Collector's office, where a memorandum was submitted to District Collector Sanjay Singh Chavan.

In the memorandum, the community urged the Maharashtra government to implement sub-classification within Scheduled Caste reservations without further delay. They cited the Supreme Court's August 1, 2024 ruling, which stated that state governments have the authority to create sub-categories within Scheduled Castes for reservation purposes.

The memorandum claimed that while some castes included in the Scheduled Caste category have benefited significantly from reservation policies, several other communities have not received equal opportunities. The protesters argued that reservation benefits should be distributed more fairly among all eligible communities.

The community also referred to the Supreme Court judgement in the State of Punjab v. Davinder Singh and Others case. They said the ruling supports measures to ensure that reservation benefits reach communities that have remained under-represented.

The memorandum demanded that the government give greater consideration to socially and economically backward groups while framing any reservation classification policy. According to the protesters, this would help ensure balanced development and better access to education, jobs and welfare benefits.

Several community leaders and representatives, including Ganpat Bhise, K.K. Bharsakhle, Rohidas Netke, Kunal Gaikwad and others, participated in the march and signed the memorandum.