NEW DELHI/JAIPUR, 29 May 2008 — Members of the Gujjar community have threatened to bring the capital city to a standstill if their demands are not met. Gujjars, seeking Scheduled Tribe status, continued their agitation for the sixth day yesterday blocking traffic in parts of the National Capital Region (NCR). In Gurgaon, protesters burned tires on the road causing a major traffic jam. They also erected a blockade on the Mehrauli-Gurgaon road.
The Union Home Ministry deployed around 10,000 police across the capital, especially in areas considered Gujjar strongholds. The home minister has also issued instructions to authorities in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana that security should be increased.
In an attempt to wash its hands of the issue, the Rajasthan government said the issue should be taken care of by the center. In a full-page advertisement carried by leading newspapers, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said: “The Gujjar community should take their initiatives to the center and use their wisdom.” Emphasizing that the issue should be settled through dialogue, Raje appealed to Gujjars to stop violence.
In response to the letter written by Raje to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, recommending four to six percent reservation for Gujjars in the category of tribals/nomadic tribe, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has referred the issue to the Law Ministry. The matter will be studied in depth, according to a Law Ministry official.
Dismissing Raje’s suggestion as “immature” and legally untenable, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said: “The recommendations are against the spirit of the limits prescribed by the Supreme Court and this shows the immaturity of the Rajasthan government.”
Meanwhile, Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla said: “Only granting ST status to Gujjars will end the agitation.” Bainsla, who is camping in Karwadi village in Bharatpur district, blamed both the center and Rajasthan government for not paying attention to their demand. “The PMO referring the issue to the Law Ministry is part of the time-buying tactics adopted by the central and Rajasthan governments,” Bainsla said.
The Rajasthan High Court has issued notices to Bainsla in a contempt petition filed by the Rajasthan government. He has been accused of breaching the undertaking given by him for maintaining law and order.
In another development, the Rajasthan police arrested Devalal, son of Rajasthan Panchayat Minister Kalulal Gujjar, for allegedly facilitating Gujjar agitation and the road blockade at Karaoi village in Bhilwara district.
While ten trains passing through Rajasthan were cancelled for the fifth consecutive day yesterday, several others were diverted because of Gujjar agitation. Describing the situation as “very bad” with railway properties having been damaged and the railway tracks removed in many places, a senior official said: “It is not possible to continue the train services in such circumstances.” The trains have been cancelled in the interest of passengers’ safety, he said.
