JAIPUR, India, 10 June 2008 — An Indian minority community demanding job quotas called off plans for a nationwide strike after talks with authorities yesterday, officials and leaders said.
At least 40 people have been killed since the Gujjars began their protests last month in the western state of Rajasthan.
Most of the dead are Gujjars shot by the police.
They had decided to take to the streets today and shut down businesses and shops, but withdrew their strike call after talks with the state government in the town of Bayana.
“We have withdrawn our strike call because of positive discussions during the meeting,” Ramveer Singh, a senior Gujjar leader, told reporters late yesterday. He said protests would continue until the Gujjars’ demands were met.
L.N. Dave, a Rajasthan minister who attended the meeting, said talks to resolve the issue would continue.
Members of the community are demanding that their place in the Indian caste system be downgraded so they can qualify for government jobs and university places reserved for such groups.
India reserves about half of all government jobs and seats in state colleges for people born into lower castes and tribal groups, who tend to be poorer than other Indians.
A year ago, Gujjars fought police and members of another caste that qualifies for job quotas. At least 25 people died in the clashes.
After these protests, a state government committee decided that the Gujjars should not be downgraded, but said the government would spend 2.8 billion rupees ($67 million) improving schools, clinics and roads in Gujjar areas.
Gujjar leaders rejected this. For the last two weeks, Gujjars have been blocking roads and railways and torching government vehicles.
Soldiers and policemen were patrolling many districts of Rajasthan to control violence yesterday, officials said.
Dozens of long-distance trains continued to be canceled or diverted due to the continuing protests.
