The All India Tribal Development Council has launched a protest in front of the Tribal Development Commissionerate in Nashik, demanding protection of reservation rights for Scheduled Tribes (ST) and opposing the inclusion of Banjara and Dhangar communities in the ST category. The agitation reflects growing resentment among tribals across Maharashtra.

The council has submitted a memorandum listing 21 demands, the foremost being the immediate release of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) report on the Dhangar reservation, which has remained pending since 2016. Tribal leaders claim the report will disprove the government’s efforts to include Dhangars in the ST category.

Council president Ganesh Gawli said, “According to the Hyderabad Gazette, Dhangars and Banjaras are distinct com

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