United they stand: Marathas descend on Thane for rally

THANE: After a massive silent protest in Kolhapur on Saturday, lakhs of Marathas in Thane and Palghar district turned up for a similar protest in Thane on Sunday.

THANE: After a massive silent protest in Kolhapur on Saturday, lakhs of Marathas in Thane and Palghar district turned up for a similar protest in Thane on Sunday.

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The protests continue despite the state’s efforts to ease tensions by announcing several schemes for professional courses for all communities. The demands put forth by the protesters include reservation in govt jobs and education, death sentence to accused in the Kopardi rape case and amendments in the Atrocities Act.

The protest in Thane began from six different routes, including Teen Haath Naka, Nitin Company, Cadbury Junction, Majiwada, Saket Complex and Thane College. People from Thane, Kalyan, Palghar, Ulhasnagar, Ambernath, Mira Road and Navi Mumbai arrived in the city early on Sunday .

The roads at Kalwa, Hari Niwas Circle, Masunda Lake, Court Naka and Teen Hath Naka were blocked by the rally. The organisers claimed that more than five to ten lakh people had joined the silent protest.

The protest took place in an organised manner, with women taking the front rows. A cleanliness crew ensured no bottles or paper bags were thrown. The protesters were also addressed from time to time through stage and screens set up at various locations. Several college students were seen actively participating in the protest.

The protest was also supported by the Muslim and Sikh communities, who offered water and cold drinks to the protesters. The Mali Samaj from Rajasthan, too, joined the rally.

All the local representatives from Thane, including NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad, Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik, PWD minister Eknath Shinde, MP Rajan Vichare, BJP corporator and standing committee chairman Sanjay Waghule were present at the protest. It ended with a school girl handing over the demands of the community to the collector.