 "Maratha community people during a silent protest in Mumbai on Wednesday, to demand reservation in government jobs and educational institutions. Photo: Kamlesh Pednekar")
At least half a million protesters brought Mumbai, India's financial capital, to a standstill on Wednesday as they pressed their demands for reserved quotas in government jobs and college places amid a slumping rural economy.
Organisers put the number of protesters at more than two million and said it was the largest rally ever staged in the city of 20 million. Indian media estimated the number of people at the rally between 600,000 and about one million.
Rising unemployment and falling farm incomes are driving farming communities across India, from the state of Haryana in the north to Gujarat in
