Maharashtra: Villagers stage protest against mechanised dredging in Thane creek

The villagers engaged in manual sand mining staged a protest against mechanised dredging in a creek in Maharashtra's Thane district

The villagers engaged in manual sand mining staged a protest against mechanised dredging in a creek in Maharashtra's Thane district on Monday, reported the PTI.

According to the news agency, the protestors took out 150 boats to the middle of the creek between Kasheli and Gaimukh, showed black flags and shouted slogans.

According to the protestors, 20,000 to 25,000 people, including locals and tribal labourers, depend on manual sand mining, and they were afraid of losing their livelihood as mechanised dredgers were being permitted to extract sand, as per the PTI.

Meanwhile, activist Manoj Jarange on Monday said he will set out on a tour of Maharashtra after the Diwali festival to meet Marathas and make them aware about the issue of reservation for the community, according to the PTI.

Manoj Jarange was talking to reporters after NCP MLA Rohit Pawar met him at a private hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar where the quota activist is admitted since he ended his indefinite fast on November 2.

"The tour is not finalised yet. It will be finalised today. I will visit various regions of Maharashtra. There will be four steps of the tour and it may begin from the Vidarbha region," he said, as per the PTI.

The activist earlier visited parts of western Maharashtra before he went on a hunger strike last month during the second phase of agitation for the Maratha quota.

Manoj Jarange has been demanding reservation for the Maratha community in government jobs and education under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

Earlier, an audio clip went viral in which Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal was purportedly heard saying, "It's a do or die situation for us (OBCs) and we must raise our voice."

Asked about the clip, Manoj Jarange said, 'I am not going to say anything regarding him (Bhujbal). Our fight for the Maratha reservation is on peacefully and we will fight and win. No matter how much pressure is built, the agitation will not stop," the news agency reported on Monday.

"We will not focus on any criticism. We are asking for the right of Marathas," the activist said.

(with PTI inputs)

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