Marathas vow to ‘bring Mumbai to a standstill’
Eight months after the Maratha community held its last rally, it is set to hold a silent march in Mumbai on Wednesday. The community aims to revive its demand for reservation in government jobs and educational institutions.
The protest rally will start from Byculla Zoo at 11am and conclude at Azad Maidan in South Mumbai.
The organisers of Maratha Kranti March, who claim that the rally will see an unprecedented turnout, are using social media to reach out to community members in the state.
Every community member has been asked to bring all its family members and also reach out to at least 50 Marathas to ensure their participation.
“We are going to bring Mumbai to a standstill. More than 50 lakh people are expected to participate. We expect at least 20,000 people from each district,” said Sanjiv Bhor Patil, one of the organisers. Authorities expect a turnout of 1 lakh to 4 lakh.
The huge crowd at all the silent rallies was a talking point last year. To effectively manage them this time, organisers have imparted training to volunteers at their Dadar office.
Nearly 10,000 volunteers from Mumbai alone will be deployed on all routes to discipline the crowd. Volunteers from other districts will also help out, said organiser Virendra Pawar.
A code of conduct has been issued, instructing community members not to indulge in sloganeering, to maintain silence, to help women and senior citizens, and to dispose of any garbage they see.
To create awareness and ramp up momentum, several bike rallies were held across the state in the past week.
This is the third time the community is attempting to hold a rally in Mumbai after holding huge protests across the state. Two of their previous attempts failed owing to differences among the organisers.
An all-party delegation of 35 to 40 legislators had met chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday evening, requesting him to accept the Marathas’ demands.