Maratha body eyes social media

Maratha Kranti Morcha organisation has asked protest participants to use social media widely and effectively for the success and impact of the march. It has asked the Maratha community to open twitter accounts and post pictures of the march, tagging chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and prime minister Narendra Modi.

According to the organization, they have decided to use social media effectively, for the grand success and impact of the Maratha silence march. "We know that the traditional media is not with us. The first silence march against the Kopardi rape and murder case happened on September 6, in Aurangabad. Only two vernacular newspapers reported about this morcha. They were ignoring the revolution happening in the Maratha community.

Therefore, we decided to use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp to connect with the community and spread the message. So far we have been successful," a Maratha community leader said, requesting anonymity.

As per the WhatsApp message, the Maratha community feel that during the silent march, participants have to write ten tweets. "The tweets should be full of march photographs. While tweeting, we have asked them to tag @narendramodi and @Dev_Fadnavis with the hashtag of #MarathaKrantiMorcha#."

Another Maratha leader, requesting anonymity, said, "If we tag the prime minister and chief minister, then our march message will spread worldwide. If a large number of march participants tweet actively, then #MarathaKrantiMorcha# hashtag will trend globally. Most of the news channels and newspapers follow twitter trending seriously. We want to attract the attention of the traditional media through this technique."

Prakash Baviskar, a Maratha leader and president of Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry (MCHI) said that they are planning a mammoth and historic Maratha march at Kharghar (Navi Mumbai) on September 21.

"People are voluntarily coming up and asking for work. They are forming multiple social media groups to spread the message. We are all micro-managing. This is one of the peaceful protest that every one is appreciating. We are not giving slogans, no speech and shouting. In the past, Jat, Patel and other community protests, government properties were vandalised and curfew-like situations were created. But in the Maratha march, everything goes silently and peacefully. Participants do not throw empty water bottles and other stuff on the road. If they find anything, it is picked up. The road looks more clean after the march; that is the speciality of the Maratha march," Baviskar said.

He requested Dalit leaders to maintain peace at the morcha, and to refrain from making provocative and inflammatory statements. "That will spoil the social atmosphere in state. We are not against any caste and community.

We want our demands to be fulfilled by the BJP government," Baviskar added.

The demands of the Maratha community include implementation of Maratha reservation, waiving off farmers' loans, amendment in the Atrocity Act, etc.