NEW DELHI, 27 May 2008 — Gujjar agitation for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the community in Rajasthan spread to other parts of the country yesterday, including Delhi. Blaming the federal and state governments for the clash between Gujjars and police in Rajasthan, the death toll of which has hit 37, community leaders said they would continue their agitation until their demand was met. They regretted that despite the sacrifices their community had made for the country, their “legitimate demand” was being met with bullets.
Speakers at a rally here accused the federal government of complicity in “state-sponsored” violence against Gujjars for failing to impose president’s rule in Rajasthan. “Home Minister Shivraj Patil has not listened to our demands and is protecting the Rajasthan government,” one speaker said.
The Gujjar leaders also paid homage to their community members who lost their lives in police firing. Last year, at least 26 people were killed in similar demonstrations.
The Gujjar agitation spread to Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh where protesters blocked a railway station.
In Rajasthan, Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla insisted that Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje come to the agitation site and hold talks with community members. “There is no question of our relenting. If we do, history will call us cowards,” Bainsla said.
Dismissing suggestion of state government representatives holding talks with the community, Bainsla said: “It is the responsibility of the head of an elected government to come and listen to the grievances of the people.” On Raje’s claim of having reportedly tried to contact him from Bayana on Sunday, Bainsla said: “No efforts were made from the chief minister’s side to contact me.” Raje flew to Bayana on Sunday and was there for about 40 minutes to try holding talks with Bainsla, who was within a range of 15 km, officials said.
“The opposition has forgotten its role, and the government has lost control of the state. That is why unarmed, innocent people are being killed with impunity. We want the central government to intervene,” Bainsla said.
The protesters have blocked national highway, connecting Delhi to Jaipur. They have removed railway tracks in Bayana, the epicenter of the unrest. Nine trains, passing through Rajasthan, have been canceled from Delhi and several others have been rerouted.
Samajwadi Party leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav and Amar Singh were detained on the outskirts of Bharatpur at Ooncha Nangla. They were planning to meet Bainsla at Pilupura village. Police said they were detained as police could not guarantee their security.
Army contingents deployed to control the situation tightened their grip on Karwadi, Pilupura and neighboring areas hit by the agitation. They moved in and blockaded violence-hit areas, where Bainsla and his supporters were holding bodies of several people killed in police firing. The bodies were kept along a railway track.
The army units have reportedly cut off food supplies to the protesters. Mobile telephone services have also been affected with army engineers jamming signals. The Rajasthan government has also taken some news channels off the air.
