Team Goemkarponn
VASCO: The nationwide Banjara Ekta Sankalp Yatra, led by Shri Sree Maharaj Ji, Dharmadhikari of the Santh Shri Sevalal Maharaj Charitable Trust, received a grand welcome in Goa on Friday, with hundreds of members of the Banjara community joining the procession and seeking the blessings of Maharaj Ji.
The yatra, which commenced on July 5 from Sevagad in Andhra Pradesh, the birthplace of Sant Shri Sevalal Maharaj, is travelling across the country with a message of unity, education, social reform and self-respect among the DD Banjara community. The campaign will culminate with a national concluding programme on July 27 at Talkatora Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.
Spanning nearly 7,000 kilometres across 15 states and more than 80 districts, the yatra also serves as a platform to press for several long-pending demands of the community before the Central and State Governments.
Addressing members of the community in Goa, Shri Sree Maharaj Ji urged Banjaras across the country to remain united and work collectively for the progress and upliftment of the community. He stressed the importance of education, social harmony, preservation of Banjara culture and language, and empowering the younger generation.
As part of the movement, the organisers have reiterated six key demands, including Scheduled Tribe (ST) status where applicable, constitutional recognition for the Gorboli/Banjara language, establishment of a Central Banjara University, development of Banjara Tandas into revenue villages, separate enumeration of the community in the 2027 caste census, and the formation of a National Banjara Board.
Community leaders said the yatra is not only a cultural and social initiative but also an effort to draw the attention of policymakers towards issues affecting the Banjara community. They described the campaign as a historic movement aimed at strengthening unity, preserving the community’s heritage and securing greater constitutional and developmental recognition.
