Refused meeting with Shinde, tribal MLAs scale security net at Mantralaya to press for demands

In Mumbai, tribal MLAs staged a dramatic protest by jumping into a safety net after the CM refused to meet them over stalled job recruitment demands

Mumbai: High-drama erupted at the state secretariat on Friday, when the deputy speaker in the state assembly along with other elected representatives, all of them from the tribal community, leapt into the safety net designed to prevent suicide attempts inside the building. The politicians resorted to this unusual tactic after the chief minister refused to meet them to discuss their demands.

Mumbai, India - Oct. 4, 2024: Maharashtra Assembly Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal along with others MLA's jumped from the third floor of the Mantralaya building after being rescued, stage protest over the Dhangar reservation in Mantralaya in Mumbai, India, on Friday, October 4, 2024. (Photo by HT Photo/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The MLAs were demanding recruitment of tribals in government jobs under the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), 1996. They claim recruitment of tribals in 17 categories has been stalled since October 2023. They are also opposed to the granting of reservations to the Dhangar community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) quota. The Dhangar community, which already enjoys reservation in a sub-category under the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), has been campaigning for inclusion in the ST category.

Led by Deputy Speaker in the Assembly, Narhari Zirwal, the protesters were drawn from various political parties, underscoring the cross-party nature of their grievances. In a well-coordinated move, while Zirwal, Rajesh Patil (Bahujan Vikas Aghadi), Kiran Lahamte (NCP) and Hemant Savara (BJP) jumped into the safety net, the other MLAs including Hiraman Khoskar (Congress), Sandip Durve (BJP) and Sunil Bhusara (NCP-SP) initiated a sit-in protest in the corridor on the same floor. The unfolding drama coincided with a state Cabinet meeting in progress at Mantralaya.

Lahamte said, “We met the CM and both deputy CMs. They have assured that they will start the recruitment under the PESA Act. They have also directed officials to fill vacant positions.”

Before the meeting with the chief minister, Zirwal, who is spearheading the protest, warned of a statewide protest. “I am a tribal first and deputy speaker, later. For the last 14 days, youth and students from tribal communities have been agitating for government jobs but the government was unresponsive,” he had said.