Context: Pro-Maratha quota activist recently urged OBC leaders to focus on securing Scheduled Tribes (ST) category reservations for the Dhangar community instead of criticizing the demand for Maratha quotas.

Dhangars Community

• About: The Dhangars are shepherds who live mostly in Western Maharashtra and Marathwada.
• Population: The Dhangar community is estimated to be around 1 crore, which is about 9% of Maharashtra’s roughly 11.25 crore population.
• Current Classification: The Dhangars are currently on Maharashtra’s list of Vimukta Jati and Nomadic Tribes (VJNT).
• Demand for ST Status: They have been demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for several decades.
• Similar with: Dhangar leaders claim their community in Maharashtra is the same as the one identified as “Dhangad” elsewhere in the country, which is listed as a Scheduled Tribe.
• Reservation Breakdown: Of the 52% reservation in Maharashtra:

oSCs and STs have 13% and 7% respectively

oOBCs have 19%

oVimukta Jati/Denotified Tribes, Special Backward Class, and Nomadic Tribes together have 13%.

Nomadic Tribes

• About: Nomadic tribes are some of the most interesting communities in the world. They don't belong to one particular region, in fact, they are spread across the world. The nomadic tribes are diverse, each with its unique culture and traditions.