Dhangar Scheduled Tribe Issue - Time Line

Time Line

Year Details
1872 The Government published Colonel Dalton’s Descriptive Ethnology of Bengal.

The book states that Dhangars are known as Oraon in the Eastern Part of India and that Oraons migrated from western India.

1883 The Hindi book, Bharat Bhraman, Vol IV, Chap 18 & 19 from Pg 291 states the population of Dhangars. It uses different pronunciations and spellings for the same word e.g. The population of Dhangar (Hindi: ) in Dharwad 87568, Dhangad (Hindi: ) in Kolhapur 38326, Dhangar (Hindi: ) in Satara 41547, Dhangar (Hindi: ) in Nashik 14889.
1896 Mr Grieson, in charge of Census, undertook The Linguistic and Ethnographic Survey.
1901 Shahu Maharaj introduces reservations in Maharashtra.
1901 Mr. Grieson wrote a chapter on languages in India in the Census report.
1920 In the linguistic survey of India Vol I Part II Grieson classified Indian

Languages. He stated that ‘R’ is pronounced as ‘D’ and ‘L’. E.g. Orrisa in English and Orissa in Hindi, Beed – Bhir, Chopda – Chopra, Tiwari – Tiwadi, Dhangar - Dhangad.

1928 As per a Committee recommendation, depressed classes included other wandering and backward classes.
29-05-1933 As per the recommendations of the committee list of Backward Committee was prescribed under Government Resolution General Department No 9330 of 29 May 1933.
23/4/1942 Communities in the State of Bombay Classified into Advanced, Intermediate and Backward Classes under Government Resolution Political and Services Department No 1673/34 dated 23/4/1942.
15/08/1947 India gains freedom.
26/1/1950 Constitution of India comes in force.
6/9/50 List of Scheduled Tribes published by the Government of India.
1955 BCC report states that the age-old definition of Tribes should be shed.
1955 Kalelkar Commission report stated that the communities of shepherd class in many states were engaged in rearing large flocks of sheep. Gaddis of Himachal Pradesh, Gadarieas of North Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, Dhangars in Bombay were mainly engaged in sheep flocks.

Shepherds are known by different names in different parts of country. Their condition is far from satisfactory. (Vol I, pg 77) The Dhangar community was regarded as most backward (* Starred community) and was recommended to be included in Schedule Tribes. It found its place in Sr. No. 36 in the list of Schedule Tribes in Maharashtra. In other states too it was included in the Schedules.

1956 State of Madhya Pradesh came into existence.
1956 Scheduled Tribe list amended as per the recommendations of Kalelkar report. The Scheduled Tribes list of the then Madhya Pradesh at Sr. no 26 listed Dhangad without referring to any particular district or tehsil which means that Dhangad from all of the present Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisghar and some part of present Maharashtra were meant to be Scheduled Tribe.

The Scheduled Tribes List of the then Bombay (Now Maharashtra) at Sr. no 27 listed Dhangad, Oraon without referring to any area which means Dhangads of whole of the Bombay State were meant to be Scheduled Tribe.

10/9/1956 The Law minister of India assured the House that the mistakes in the list of SC and ST will be rectified.
1/5/1960 State of Gujarat and Maharashtra came into existence. List of Scheduled Tribes of Maharashtra shows Dhangad at Sr. no 27. At the relevant time the only community present in the new state is Dhangar. There is no other community called Dhangad present in Maharashtra.
1961 Ethnographic study was undertaken by the census department to identify the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes as a frequent problem was faced for identifying the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The Census enumerators required guidance about the acceptance or rejections of their claims. The department of census of India undertook a detailed ethnographic study in respect of Scheduled Tribes in 1961 under the powers delegated by the Parliament for an authentic ethnographic account of Indian communities and to meet the requirements of the Socio-legal issues relating to ethnic identity of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
1961 The Ethnographic report and the Bibliography of Scheduled Tribes published by the Government of India. It mentions Dhangar, Dhangad as the Scheduled Tribe in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. The ethnological and anthropological information of Dhangad and Dhangar given in the report is same which is of Shepherds. That is both the words mean a same single community which is Shepherds of Maharashtra.
21/11/1961 Unified list of VJNT prepared for the state of Maharashtra as per the Thade Committee Report.
11/1/1964 B G Deshmukh committee submitted its report to the state government and proposed that the backward classes should be grouped into Schedules Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Denotified & Nomadic Tribes and Other Backward Classes.
1965 B. N. Lokur Committee advised the Government of India to delete Oroan from the list of Scheduled Tribe of Maharashtra as it is not found in Maharashtra but it did not suggest the same for Dhangad.
1966 Chanda Committee appointed to remove anomalies in the list.
20/06/1966 State of Maharashtra recommends the Government of India to include Dhangar community in the list of Scheduled Tribe.
1967 Report, bibliography on SC/ST and marginal communities published by census department which includes Dhangar, Dhangad as a Scheduled Tribe in Maharashtra.
13/10/1966 List of OBC prepared by the State of Maharashtra to give scholarships.
20/06/1967 MLA Ganpatrao Deshmukh asks the state in the assembly what steps it was taking regarding the Dhangar communities ST status.
1967 Advisory committee report asks the government to remove anomalies.
1967 Scheduled Tribe amendment bill lapsed.
1968 Bibliography on SC and ST and marginal tribes published by the Government of India in 1968. See pg 294. It states Dhangar as a Scheduled Tribe in Maharashtra.
1970 The census report shows the population of Dhangad in Maharashtra as 1 (one).
1976 The Scheduled Tribe list amended. The Scheduled Tribe list of Maharashtra Listed Dhangad at Sr. No 36 by putting a punctuation mark of comma after Oraon without mentioning any particular area. (36. Oraon, Dhangad.)

There is no community called Dhangad present in the state of Maharashtra and not a single person of this so called community is found. The community present in the State of Maharashtra is Dhangar that is pronounced and spelt as Dhangad in Hindi. There are no two distinct communities called Dhangar and Dhangad present in the state of Maharashtra.

22/03/1977 The Union of India removed the area restriction.
1978 Report of the Commissioner for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes revealed that the State Government did not have the power to impose area restriction on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in their State.
1978 The Government laid the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (amendment) Bill 1978 but as the Sixth Loksabha dissolved the bill too lapsed.
26/03/1978 Government of Maharashtra again recommends the Government of India to include the Dhangar community in the list of Scheduled Tribes
1979 Mandal Commission regarded Dhangad and Dhangar one and the same.
1981 L.M. Shrikant report recommends the center remove the anomalies in the SC and ST list
9/2/1981 The center ask the State whether Dhangar should be included in the list of Scheduled Tribe and to reply before 7/3/1981. It further stated if no reply is received by then it will be deemed that the state has accepted it.

The Government of India has the following criteria for inclusion in the list of Scheduled Tribes i.e. indication of primitive traits, distinct culture, geographical isolation and shyness of contact with the community at large and backwardness. The state does not reply by 7/3/81.

6/11/1981 The State of Maharashtra withdraws the proposal of inclusion of Dhangar Community in the list of Scheduled Tribes.
1982 Bibliography on SC and ST and marginal tribes published by the Government of India that shows Dhangar as a Scheduled Tribe in Maharashtra.
8/9/1982 MLA Chimanrao Kadam states in the assembly that the Mandal Commission states that Dhangad and Dhangar are the same.
8/9/82 The Tribal Research and Training Centre Pune issued a circular for the guidance of competent authorities to issue caste certificates.

The circular stated that Dhangads were a Scheduled Tribe only in the eight districts of Vidharbha region.

1983 The circular was challenged in WP 1110/83 on the ground that the state government had no powers to impose area restrictions for issuing Caste Certificates as the Parliament had removed the area restrictions in 1977.

The State Government filed an affidavit and stated that the circular dated 8/9/82 was withdrawn on 24/3/83. The withdrawal order was not circulated by the State Government to the concerned officers who issue caste certificates for three years for reason best known by them.

24/4/85 The state government again issued a similar circular.

The circular stated that people of Dhangar community deceive the government by producing false certificates as Dhangad. The circular further stated that Dhangads are found only in the District of Gadchiroli.

16/12/1986. Assistant Director states that Dhangad and Dhangar may be one and the same.
28/04/1989 CAG report recommends the inclusion of Dhangar community in the list of Scheduled Tribe.
06/09/1989 The Government of India states in a letter that Dhangar is already included in the list of Scheduled Tribe and the census of Oraon, Dhangad and Dhangar is already carried out.
22/12/1989 MP Mrs Suryakanta Patil asks whether Dhangar is included in the list of Scheduled Tribe. The minister replies that Dhangar of Maharashtra is already included in the list of Scheduled Tribe and Dhangar and Dhangad is considered the same.
1989 Dhangars in the state of Maharashtra agitate for the ST status. PM Rajiv Gandhi accepts their demands.
25/5/1990 Sharad Pawar lead State Government included the Nomadic or wandering Shepherd Class i.e. Dhangar Community in the list of Nomadic Tribe with 3.5% reservation by depriving them the ST status. Creamy layer excluded.
23/3/1994 NT List amended.
1994 Kumbi and Kunbi regarded as one and the same.
23/11/95 The then Chief Minister Manohar Joshi declared at Nagpur that the circular dated 24/4/1985 was withdrawn.
19/5/1995 The State Backward Class Commission (Khatri Commission) was formed.
13/06/1995 The State of Maharashtra prepares the list of Special Backward Class.
12/7/96 The Government of Maharashtra (Revenue and Forest Department) publishes a notification under Bombay Court fees Act 1959 in the Gazette in which the list of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe is given. The Marathi version of the Scheduled Tribes uses the word ‘Dhangar’ and the English version ‘Dhangad’. This shows that the letters ‘R’ and ‘D’ are interchangeable and both the words mean the same.
6/11/97 The State of Maharashtra issued notification in leading news papers appealing the public to send information about the communities that were included in the guide lines issued by Tribal development department Bombay dated 24/4/85 by ignoring the Ethnographic reports and Bibliographies published by the Government of India.
12/11/1998 As per the recommendations of Khatri Commission, Mutatkar Commission, Edate Commission list of VJNT and OBC’s was amended.
27/10/1999 The list of OBC of the State of Maharashtra amended.
1/1/2001 The list of OBC of the State of Maharashtra amended.
14/02/2001 The list of VJNT of the State of Maharashtra amended.
19/3/2001 The Government of Maharashtra (Revenue and Forest Department) again publishes a notification under Bombay Court fees Act 1959 in the Gazette in which the list of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe is given. The Marathi version of the Scheduled Tribes uses the word ‘Dhangar’ and the English version ‘Dhangad’. This shows that the letters ‘R’ and ‘D’ are interchangeable and both the words mean the same.
29/05/2001 The Backward Class Commission (Khatri Commission ) formed.
31/03/2002 The Venkatachaliah Commission on the review of the working of the Constitution submits its report. The commission makes recommendations for Nomadic tribes. The report states that the continued plight of the Denotified tribes, semi-nomadic and nomadic tribes who are distributed in the list of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward class is an eloquent illustration of the failure of the machinery of planning, financial resources allocating budgeting and administration in the country to seriously follow the mandate of Art. 46. The report further states that the adequate representation of backward classes is, however, still a far cry and special efforts need to be made for effectively enforcing reservation of backward classes to achieve their adequate representation.
2/8/2002 MP Pradeep Rawat tells the house that there is a spelling mistake in the word Dhangad in the list of Scheduled Tribe and the word must be Dhangar. The minister replies that there is no spelling mistake.
/12/2002 The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Orders (Second Amendment) Bill, 2002. Twenty- Seventh Report. Standing Committee on labour and Welfare (2002) (13th Loksabha), Ministry of Tribal Welfares observed in its report that the Ministry should review/revise the criteria for identifying the tribes and the modalities. 2.36 The Committee noted that there are various communities which are synonyms to each other but have not been included in the present Bill. For example in the case of ‘Dhangad’ and ‘Dhangar’ communities of Maharashtra which are similar to each other but the State Government have rejected their claim stating that ‘Dhangad’ and ‘Dhangar’ are two distinct communities having no ethnic affinity. The Committee are of the opinion that if a community have the similar characteristics, their claims should not be rejected on the flimsy grounds like involving correction in the spelling of certain tribes. The Committee, therefore, recommends that the Ministry should take up the matter with the State Government to remove the anomaly in the nomenclature of these communities.

The committee observed that as the State of Maharashtra has not made any recommendations of the Dhangar community they are not included in the amended list.

2002 The Scheduled Tribe list amended. Dhangar/Dhangad included in the list of MP at sr.no. 35, Bihar- 26, Orissa – 53, WB – 33, Chatisghar – 33, Jharkhand – 25. Already in Maharashtra at sr.no. 36.
22/1/2004 PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee declares in a rally at Pandharpur that if BJP lead NDA comes to power it would give ST status to Dhangar community as per the National Commission for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes which was newly set up on 22/11/2003. However, the community expected assurance of ST status implementation.
26/02/2004 Daily Maharashtra Times (Mumbai Mahanagar edition) reports that the State of Maharashtra has recommended the inclusion of De-notified Tribes in the list of SC and Nomadic Tribes in the list of Scheduled Tribe
1/06/2004 The list of OBC and NT amended.
6/9/2004 The State of Maharashtra recommends the inclusion of Dhangar community in the list of "Third Schedule".
12/07/2005
6/2/2006 The National Commission for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes reconstituted on 14/3/2005 assumed its functioning w.e.f. 6th Feb, 2006. Mr. Balkrishna Renke appointed as the Chairman.
1/3/2006 OBC, SBC, VJNT lists amended. (Total castes and sub-castes OBC- 291, SBC – 41, VJ – 16, NT – 37, SC – 59, ST – 47.)
13/09/2006 Agarwal committee constituted by the State of Maharashtra.
21/11/2006
1/5/2007 All India Dhangar Samaj starts Hunger Strike at Latur. One of them, Mr. Gunaji Mhatre goes missing from the venue of Strike and is not yet found. Complaint filed.
10/6/2007 VJNT and SBC Emp and Officers association formed.
9/8/2007 & 17/09/2007 All India Dhangar Samaj Mahasangh made representations to State Government and Central Government for implementation of Scheduled Tribe status.
13/10/2007 Renke Commission submitted its interim report on the status of some 500 De-notified tribes who make up to 12 crore population scattered across India. Final report likely to be submitted in July 2008.
28/4/2008 Madhya Pradesh sends proposal to the Government of India for inclusion of Dhangar community in the list of Scheduled Tribe.
5/5/2008 All India Dhangar Association finishes the Hunger Strike at Mumbai by taking a rally on Mantralaya on the Birth anniversary of Karl Marx.
14/05/2008 In response to the Strike the Government of Maharashtra replies that the Government of India has included the Dhangar tribe in the List of Scheduled Tribes and that Dhangar Caste is included in the list of Nomadic Tribes by the Government of Maharashtra. That there is no spelling mistake in Dhangad and that Dhangar caste does not fulfill the criteria as laid down by the central government.
27/05/2008 Leaders of Dhangar community across all political parties arrange massive rally at Mumbai for their demands.
12/06/2008 List of OBC, DTNT amended by the Government of Maharashtra.
18/06/2008 Agarwal Commission records evidence of Dhangar community’s delegation.
02/07/2008 Renke Commission submitted its report.
28/08/2008 The CM declares to constitute a new commission headed by a Retd. High Court Judge which would submit its report within a time bound period at the earliest.
26/08/2010 Shri Devji M. Patel in parliament stated regarding need to implement the recommendations of Renke Commission report on Denotified, Nomadic and Semi Nomadic Tribes. (source by - Nitin Gawade)

25/06/2009 Dr.Maruthirao Shivajirao Patil, young dhangar leader and visionary from malshiras taluka of solapur district ,has been organised, biggest dhangar samaj rallies and demanded scheduled Tribe status to his community.He also contentiously pressing his demands at state as well as national levels.In this mission of getting dhangar samaj included in to the scheduled Tribe list, he has established statues of Rajmata Ahilyabai Holkar at diffrent places in malshiras taluka such as Malshiras, Phondshiras, piliv, Natepute ,chandapuri etc. (Source by :- arjun ghule)

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