27 Jan 2024 | 07:09 AM UTC
India: Maratha activists call off march planned for Jan. 27 from Vashi to Azad Maidan in Mumbai /update 1
Maratha groups call off march scheduled for Jan. 27 from Vashi to Azad Maidan, Mumbai, India.
Activists from the Maratha community have called off a scheduled march from Vashi to Azad Maidan in Mumbai as of Jan. 27. The decision comes after the Maharashtra State government passed an ordinance agreeing to the group's demands late the previous day. The activists had planned to march Jan. 27 following rallies across Maharashtra State since Jan. 20 over long-standing demands to guarantee Other Backward Class (OBC) caste certificates to all Marathas. Additional protests are possible if the government fails to address the group's demands.
Monitor trusted local media for updates on fresh protests, as organizers may not announce them in advance.
The politically influential Maratha community makes up over 30 percent of the population in Maharashtra State. Several Maratha groups have protested periodically in the past decades over the community's long-standing demand for job and education reservations. Following violent protests in 2018, the state government granted Marathas reservation under the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act. However, the Supreme Court of India ruled the decision as illegal, citing it breached existing reservation limits. Maratha groups have warned of indefinite protests until the government enacts measures to guarantee reservation for the community.
