Dhangar community steps up campaign for Scheduled Tribe status

By HJ NewsRoom 24 Jun 2026 1 min read Updated 26 Jun 2026, 8:46 AM

The Dhangar community met senior Goa leaders on June 24 as part of its ongoing campaign to secure Scheduled Tribe status in Goa.

Photo: Akhil Gomantak Dhangar Unnati Mandal

The Akhil Gomantak Dhangar Samaj Unnati Mandal continued its campaign for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Dhangar community by meeting senior political leaders and seeking their support for the long-pending demand.

A delegation led by Mandal president Chandrakant (Babu) Kavalekar, accompanied by office-bearers of the organisation’s Central Committee, submitted separate memoranda to BJP Goa president Damu Naik, Union Minister of State for Power Shripad Naik and Rajya Sabha MP Sadanand Shet Tanavade.

The memoranda urged the leaders to support the community’s efforts to secure inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe list. The organisation has described the issue as a long-pending demand and has been reaching out to political leaders across party lines to build support.

The Dhangar community has been pressing for Scheduled Tribe status, arguing that recognition would provide constitutional safeguards and enable members of the community to access welfare measures and reservation benefits available to Scheduled Tribes.