India, Aug. 31 -- Kamaltai Nimbalkar, 54, is a social worker from Beed, who stands in protest with others from the district, with a determination that has only strengthened over decades. "This is not the first time we are struggling for Maratha reservation," said Kamaltai. She was once a member of Maratha Seva Sangh (MSS), an organisation working for Maratha community across state, and participated in protests held in Mumbai in 2008, "when around 4,000 women gathered together for the cause under the banner of Jijau Brigade, the women's wing of MSS". "We organised a Yatra across 3,000 villages in 2010, to spread awareness about reservation for Marathas. At that time, some people from our own community opposed us. But I remained resolute because I believed this fight was necessary," she said. Kamaltai's story began when she was just 13 years old, when "my parents decided to marry me off". "I opposed it and told them that I wanted to study further. But they said, 'Even highly educated people are jobless, so how will education help you? Better get married.'"She married young, but her dreams did not die. "I completed my BA degree and began working for the community," she said. Over the years, she has seen countless young girls forced to give up education due to lack of funds, she shared. "Many lose their admissions by just a few marks because we do not have reservation. If we get it, more Maratha women and girls can pursue higher education and achieve better positions in their chosen fields." Standing amid a swarm of protestors, Kamaltai feels the urgency of their drive ever more. She, as also the others, are on a mission to affect change. "Poor villagers have come in trucks because they cannot afford cars. We are all here because we cannot give up," she said. "Today, no one wants to marry a youth from a farming family because he does not have a job," she said. "I am staying here with the protesters until we get justice. This fight is not just for me, it is for the uplift of the whole community."...