Maratha bandh: Fear of violence forces Maharashtra to shut schools, colleges

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, August 8

School and colleges in Pune, Kolhapur and other areas in western Maharashtra will remain shut on Thursday as a precautionary measure during the statewide bandh called by the Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM).

”We will take a call on closing schools and colleges in Mumbai and Thane later on Wednesday,” an official from the Education Department said today.

The MKM has called for the statewide bandh to demand for reservation for the Maratha community in educational institutions and government jobs. Leaders of the MKM on Tuesday rejected Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ promise that reservations for the community would be implemented by November this year. MKM leaders said they were rejecting the assurances by Fadnavis since these have been made verbally.

MKM leaders said they will try their best to keep the bandh peaceful. “We are pleading with all our members to ensure that the agitation remains peaceful,” MKM leader Shantaram Kunjir told reporters in Aurangabad. He admitted that passions were running high among the youth and asked them not to resort to violence.

State government officials said security was being tightened in cities like Thane, Navi Mumbai, Pune and other cities where protesting Maratha youths had indulged in violence last month.

MKM leaders said they were also angry with the government since several hundred Maratha youths are behind bars on charges of violence. “We are finding it difficult to even arrange for lawyers to defend so many people,” an MKM leader said.

Meanwhile, a section of the Maratha leaders who were holding protests in Beed district ended their agitation on Tuesday. Abasaheb Patil, the leader of the group, said the protests were called off since the Chief Minister had promised to consider their demands by November-end.

However, other MKM leaders say Patil was close to the BJP and his decision to call off the protest was not endorsed by the Maratha community at large.