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Rajasthan’s Gujjar quota stir: One faction continues agitation, the other calls for ending it
Compared to earlier years, this time the protesters are divided into two factions — one led by Kirori Singh Bainsla and his son Vijay Bainsla, and the other, by Himmat Singh
As the Gujjar quota stir entered its second day in Rajasthan, one faction continued its protest on the railway tracks of Delhi-Mumbai passing through Peelupura village of Bharatpur district on Monday, while the other called a meeting of the community members to form a strategy to end the stir.
Compared to earlier years, this time the protesters are divided into two factions — one led by Kirori Singh Bainsla and his son Vijay Bainsla, and the other, by Himmat Singh.
Singh, along with a delegation of 41, had met a government panel where the administration reportedly agreed to meet all their demands. The meeting was organised around 12noon in Gargara Nagla village where many panch and heads from different villages of the community participated and appealed for an end to the agitation in order to maintain peace.
Gujjar leader Deewan Singh Sherpur, who was part of the delegation, said it was wrong on the part of Kirori Singh Bainsla to blocked a rail route while the state government had agreed to fulfil all demands of the community.
“People of the Gujjar community of Bharatpur will not allow Bainsla to break law and order. To launch a stir without any reason is not favourable for community,” he said.
Meanwhile, Vijay Bainsla said they were not ready to leave railway track on any condition. “We have jammed Bayana Hindaun road...Agitators in large numbers have been on the rail route and are cooking here itself. We would not approach any representative of the government...they need to come here to talk to us,” he said.
Meanwhile, the agitation found echoes in Ajmer where roads were blocked on Monday afternoon for a couple of hours.
Routes of at least 60 trains, including 40 freight trains, had to be diverted on Sunday because of the agitation and two trains were cancelled. Also, about 220 buses from five major roadways depots of Dausa, Hindaun, Karauli, Bharatpur and Bayana were stopped.
Bharatpur inspector general of police Sanjiv Narzary said police force in adequate numbers has been deployed in Bayana. Internet services have also been snapped in the Gujjar dominated areas across Dausa, Hindaun, Karauli, Bharatpur, Sawai Madhopru and Jaipur rural to check the spread of rumours.
Collectors of eight districts in Rajasthan have been authorised to make preventive detentions under the National Security Act 1980.
Different state governments have brought in laws to give Gujjars (and four other communities) 5% reservation under special backward classes (SBC) and later, as the most backward classes (MBC) but the Rajasthan high court struck down the laws .
