Mumbai: The Brahmin community is not happy with the Modi government’s decision to give 10 percent reservation to the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) from the general category. Brahmin wants separate quota alone for their category and with this demand, several sub-caste from the Brahmin gathered at Azad Maidan in Mumbai and staged protest.
Samasta Brahmin Samaj Maharashtra- an umbrella organisation of about 24 community groups staged dharana (protest) at Azad Maidan on Tuesday morning. Around 1300-1500 protestors, including priests from Nashik, Pune, Thane and from other parts of the state joined the protest. They demanded separate four percent reservation only for the Brahmin community in the state instead of inclusion in 10 percent upper caste quota. The population of the community is around eight percent and he it demands half of it which is four percent quota.
A delegation who met chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, claimed that the state government is positive on their demands except reservation quota. Vishwajeet Deshpande, an organisation functionary said, “All other demands except reservation for Brahmin were almost accepted by the government. However, a reservation is our key demand for which we will continue our protest.”
Other demands of the community include creation of the separate financial board for Brahmin to help economically weaker section, separate atrocity act to get protection from other communities who tease Brahmin with the words as Bhat, Baaman, etc., hostel in each district for the students of the community, free education from KG (kinder garden) to PG (post graduate).
The delegation also demanded the memorial of Chhatrapati Shivaji in Arabian sea should completed on priority and Swatantrya Veer VD Savarkar be felicitated with the Bharat Ratna award. The community also demanded to restore two statues of Dadoji Konddev, historically considered the Brahmin tutor of Chhatrapati Shivaji and Ram Ganesh Gadkari, renowned Marathi poet and playwright from the Pune Municipal Corporation.
