Raj govt agrees to 5% quota for Gujjars, agitation comes to an end
JAIPUR: The eight-day deadlock between the members of the Gujjar community and Rajasthan came to an end on Thursday night after the state government agreed to introduce a bill ensuring 5% reservation to Gujjars and four other castes outside the legal limit of 50%.
Demanding reservation in public sector jobs, the Gujjars have been protesting since May 21 by blocking Delhi-Mumbai rail track at Peelu Ka Pura village at Bharatpur, Jaipur Agra national highway and state highway at Sawai Madhopur districts of Rajasthan.
State parliamentary affairs minister Rajendra Singh announced, after a four- hour-long meeting with Gujjar leaders here that the government would bring a bill, for providing 5% reservation beyond the legal limit of 50%, in the cabinet and the state assembly and then send it for inclusion in 9th Schedule of the Constitution.
Gujjar Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti president Kirori Singh Bainsla thanked the government for accepting the reservation demand and apologised to the pub- lic for the inconvenience caused during agitation. He said the agitation would end and rail tracks and roads would be cleared soon.
The government also agreed to bring a separate bill for 14% reservation to economically backward classes which would cross the 50% limit. Gujjars and four other communities would be provided 5% reservation as specially backward classes under a separate bill.
A number of trains were affected due to the blocking of the rail tracks causing huge losses to the railways. The state roadways too suffered daily financial losses.
The Gujjars, who form 7% of total population in Rajasthan, have been agitating since 2006 demanding reservation and 72 people have been killed in this connection so far. Four other castes include Banjara, Gadariya, Raika, and Gadia Luhar. After Wednesday’s order of the Rajasthan high court asking the state government to see that rail tracks and roads are free from protesters, the government on Thursday called extra police and paramilitary forces.
The Centre sent around 4,500 paramilitary personnel to Rajasthan to assist the state government.