Maratha stir: Damage in Monday violence cost Chakan ₹10 crore
PUNE: Over 500 policemen marched in a straight file, keeping vigil on the same streets in Chakan, where violence had erupted on Monday. Even though an uneasy calm prevailed in the industrial township and its surrounding areas on Tuesday, policemen and CRPF personnel kept strict supervision. Police personnel were posted at various chowks and entry and exit points of the town.
Over 100 vehicles were dam- aged, 30 of them torched and eight policemen were injured after Maratha protestors demanding reservations turned violent on Monday in the industrial town. The total loss incurred due to the violence was pegged at ₹10 crore, police said.
No incidents of violence were reported on Tuesday amid normalcy, slowly creeping back, as shops and commercial establishments were seen open in the morning; though not many people were seen stepping out of their homes fearing fresh violence. “While protests are not new here, we had never seen anything like this before in Chakan, wherein police personnel were targeted,” said Satish Mule, a resident, who decided to stay at home on Tuesday.
Most industries in Chakan, which is known as the automobile hub of India, functioned normally. During the violence, around 1.5 lakh workers employed with around 750 small and big industrial units were holed up in their offices as the protestors had blocked most roads. It was only late on Monday evening, when workers returned home.
SURVEYS SET FOR IMPACT
Five institutes of repute tasked with the responsibility of preparing a report about the “backwardness” of the Maratha community, on Tuesday, submitted
the surveys to the Backward Class Commission in Pune.
The state government had asked the Gokhale institute, Rambhau Mhalgi Probodhini, Shivaji Academy, Sharda Academy and Gurukrupa Sanstha, to prepare a survey about the educational and economic backwardness of Maratha community from western Maharashtra, Konkan, Marathwada, Vidarbha
and north Maharashtra, respectively. According to officials at the commission headed by retired judge MG Gaikwad, the survey was to find out social, educational and economic backwardness of Marathas in order to check if the community can be included in the other backward class (OBC) categories.
“All the five institutes have submitted their entries and the commission will now meet on August 3 and 4 to discuss the submissions,” said DD Deshmukh, member secretary at the commission. Earlier the meeting was scheduled for August 5.