The influential Leva-Patil community of North Maharashtra recently set new progressive resolutions in a mega summit of the community organised at Padasare village at Bhusawal in Jalgaon district on February 4. Some of the resolutions include organising frugal weddings, avoiding organising lavish engagement dinners, and promoting mass marriages among themselves.
Incidently, BJP leader Khadse was the President of this Leva-Patil community summit. His presence is seen in political circles as an attempt to reassert his leadership in the region and rally the community behind him ahead of the 2019 polls.
Addressing the 60,000-to-70,000 community gathering, Eknath Khadse appealed that the dowry system should be completely stopped. "As a result of high dowry, today we are facing a crunch in the number of girls. Many youths, mainly farmers and poor are not getting brides. In the Leva-Patil community, there are various sub-castes that has to be ended. We are discriminating within our community and not marrying with each other," Khadse urged.
He said that on the forum of Maha Sammelan, earlier too, the Leva-Patil community had abolished many anti-social and inhuman practices such as bembhi pujan -- child marriage. "We should not outcast anyone if he/she gets married out of caste or religion. This is against the law. We should be inclusive. In Leva Panchayat, there are 12,000 divorce cases pending while 120 are re-assimilation cases. This picture has to be changed," Khadse said.
Khadse also exhorted his community to follow the footsteps of Sardar Patel who is an idol for the community. Estranged BJP leader Khadse's presence in his community rally is increasingly seen as his attempt to reassert himself in the mainstream of his community, and thus enable him to come to the centre stage of state politics.
The Leva-Patil community has mainly migrated from Pawagad-Gujarat and settled on bank of Tapi and Narmada river in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
The community also held a panchayat where most outstanding disputes in the community were amicably settled. The community has contributed to Maharashtra polity and has produced various leaders like former education minister Madhukarao Chaudhari and literary great Bhalchandra Nemade.
EYE ON POLLS
- BJP leader Eknath Khadse was the President of this Leva-Patil community summit
- His presence is seen as an attempt to reassert his leadership in the region and rally the community behind him ahead of 2019 polls
- Khadse appealed that dowry system should be stopped
