Mumbai on edge over ethnic quota stir
NEW DELHI: Hundreds of protesters from the ethnic Maratha community blocked roads and shut shops in India’s financial hub of Mumbai on Wednesday in support of their demand for quotas in government jobs and educational institutions.
Television images showed buses and cars stranded on the Eastern Expressway, which is one of the busiest roads between Mumbai and Pune.
A local train route in Mumbai’s Thane suburban area was blocked by protesters, an officer at Mumbai’s police control room said. There were incidents of protesters throwing stones at state-run buses in several areas.
Shops were forced to shut down in pockets of Raigad district adjoining Mumbai, NDTV news channel reported.
Several Maratha groups have called for a day-long strike in support of their demand for quotas. Educational institutions and essential services like water supply, fire and medical services have been excluded from the strike call.
Similar protests in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra state had turned violent on Tuesday, with people torching vehicles and injuring policemen.
“All necessary precautions have been taken to ensure order and peace, and all personnel and reserve forces have been asked to be present during the protest period,” Deven Bharti, Mumbai’s joint commissioner for police in charge of law and order, said on Tuesday.
Marathas, who comprise onethird of Maharashtra state’s 116 million people, are mainly engaged in agriculture and are largely economically deprived.
But the community is politically powerful with several key leaders active in the state, of which Mumbai is the capital.