AGRA: Leaders of the Dhangars – a caste of herders from Agra and nearby regions who were recognized in 1950 as Scheduled Caste – held a mahapanchayat in Agra on Sunday and declared that if they were not given SC certificates in a month’s time, they would convert en masse to Christianity.
Senior leaders of the herders said the state government had done little for them. The community had received little help by way of education and employment, they had no pucca houses, and did not so much as have a certificate to show that they were an SC group.
Leaders of the community said that if the state government continued to neglect them, and if no certificate was granted to them in a month’s time, showing them as SC, they would embrace Christianity.
Dhangars have a strong presence in the Braj region and across the state. Community leaders said about 1.5 lakh people could join the Christian fold if the caste certificates were not forthcoming.
More than 300 representatives of the herding community from across the state attended the mahapanchyat at Hariyali Vatika in Agra on Sunday.
Delegates from Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Mathura, Gokul, Vrindawan, Etah, Firozabad, Aligarh and Mainpuri examined the issue of their character and status. Parts communicated their hatred that the state government had been so arrogant about matters that identified with their welfare.
JP Dhangar, state president of the Dhangar Mahasabha (UP), told media that his group was among the most disregarded in the state. He said the legislature had been unmoved by HC requests, and no position declaration had been issued to them in six decades.
“The Dhangars were announced a Scheduled Caste in 1950. From that point forward, we have been sitting tight for our station declarations, and have been not able to profit the profits that Scs get. The Allahabad high court and the National SC/ST Commission have asked the UP government to get our position declarations made at the earliest opportunity. The procedure is deferred regardless of that,” Dhangar said.
JP Dhangar said the high court had asked the state government to issue station authentications to the group on July 10, 2006. The SC/ST commission administered the administration to issue station authentications to the group twice, in 2008 and 2012, he said.
“We have taken out many cycle encourages and dissents and showings. No regard has been paid to our requests. The legislature now has one month, from December 28, 2014 to January 28, 2015. It we don’t get position authentications, we will all believer to Christianity,” JP Dhangar said.
Beena Dhangar, executive of the Etmadpur Nagar Palika, who spoke to her region in the mahapanchyat, said those from her group challenging races can’t exploit held seats.
“Tehsildars are not getting our rank declarations made. Not by any means a solitary Dhangar family in Braj Mandal has position authentications for all its parts. At times, just ladies were given the endorsement. In some different cases, just men were given the authentication. Cash is regularly requested for making the SC authentication,” Beena Dhangar said.
