Jalna, Maharashtra, October 19, 2025: In a striking act of protest, Banjara activist Vijay Chavan has embarked on an indefinite fast in Jalna city, sitting on a charpoy tied to a tree, demanding the inclusion of the Banjara community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category. The unique demonstration, which began on Saturday in the Ambad Chowfully area, highlights the long-standing grievances of the community regarding classification and reservation rights.

Chavan revealed that he had initially sought permission to stage his protest at the district collectorate premises, a request that was denied. Undeterred, he chose the charpoy protest as a symbolic and highly visible method to draw attention to his community’s plight. Speaking to reporters, Chavan emphasized the historical basis for the demand, pointing out that the Banjara community was originally recognized as a Scheduled Tribe and enjoyed reservation benefits in the erstwhile Hyderabad State.

“We were classified as a Scheduled Tribe and received the associated reservation benefits under the Hyderabad administration. We want those same rights restored. The Hyderabad Gazette refers to us as tribes, but due to misinterpretation and a lack of representation after the Mandal period, the Banjara community was wrongly placed in the VJNT (Vimukta Jati Nomadic Tribe) category in Maharashtra,” Chavan said. Currently, Banjaras are classified under VJNTs, which grants them a mere 3 per cent reservation quota, far less than what they historically received.

The protest comes against the backdrop of renewed activism in Maharashtra over caste-based classification and reservation rights. In September, members of the Banjara community organized large-scale morchas across Marathwada districts, pressuring the government to address their longstanding demand for ST recognition. Chavan’s fast is part of a continuing wave of mobilization that seeks to ensure that historical entitlements are acknowledged and reinstated.

The Maharashtra government’s recent decision to implement provisions of the Hyderabad Gazette for the Maratha community has intensified such demands from other communities. Following a high-profile agitation by activist Manoj Jarange at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan, the Gazette was invoked to facilitate the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates, paving the way for the inclusion of Marathas in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. This move has emboldened the Banjara community and other groups to press for recognition based on historical records from the Hyderabad State era.

Historically, the Marathwada region, encompassing parts of modern-day Maharashtra, was governed by the Nizam of Hyderabad, whose administration meticulously documented castes, tribes, and occupations in official records known as the Hyderabad Gazette. These records form the backbone of contemporary claims for caste-based reservations. In 1918, Marathas were granted reservations in education and government employment under the Nizam’s rule, a precedent that is now cited to support their OBC inclusion.

Chavan and other community leaders argue that the Banjara community’s historical ST classification should be honored similarly. They claim that the misclassification into VJNTs was a result of administrative oversight and the community’s limited political representation following the Mandal Commission period. According to Chavan, restoring the ST status is not merely a matter of entitlement but a correction of historical injustice that would allow the community to access educational and occupational opportunities that have long been denied.

The indefinite fast in Jalna is expected to attract widespread attention, with Chavan hoping that public support and media coverage will pressure the state government to take immediate action. Activists across Marathwada and Maharashtra have expressed solidarity with his cause, noting that the protest highlights broader issues of caste recognition and the implementation of historical legal frameworks like the Hyderabad Gazette.

As the agitation unfolds, the state government faces mounting pressure to address the Banjara community’s demands. Officials have not yet made a formal statement regarding Chavan’s fast, but the protests add to the growing discourse on reservation policy and the historical recognition of communities in Maharashtra.

In essence, the fast in Jalna represents both a personal act of courage and a larger struggle for social justice. By sitting on a charpoy beneath a tree, Chavan has symbolically connected grassroots activism with the historical legacy of the Banjara community, highlighting the continued relevance of past administrative records in contemporary socio-political debates.

The coming days will likely see increased mobilization and public demonstrations as the community rallies behind Chavan’s demand, making the question of Banjara ST status a significant issue in Maharashtra’s ongoing discourse on caste, reservation, and historical justice.

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