‘Fulfil promise made in manifesto’

Why deadlock and no talks?

We have already stated that there will be no dialogue nor will be send any delegation. We expect the government to issue a notification providing 5% reservation.

We want to know why Congress leaders from the Gujjar community, who had promised reservation before elections, are silent now. The reason could be two— either they have no intention or have no say.

If they cannot provide reservation, then I request them to join us and sit on railway tracks with the rest of the community.

People are suffering as trains are cancelled and roads are blocked. How long will the stir continue?

We aren’t happy like others. Even we have families.

I humbly request the government to fulfill its commitment for reservation.

We are sitting here with ration for one and a half months and it is a community-dominated area. We will sit here till we get reservation; the sit-in can be indefinite.when the manifesto has the central party leadership’s approval. I urge Congress president Rahul Gandhi to fulfil the promises because of which the

Gujjars voted for them.

Notifications for reservation have been issued earlier by both the Congress and the BJP, but got stuck in court. How do you think it will work this time?

It is not my concern. We are illiterate Gujjars who are sit- ting on tracks; if we had so much intelligence then we would have been in the government. We do not want advocacy but reservation.

A political party made a manifesto to garner votes and probably for the first time in the country a community has to come onto roads and tracks to get the promises fulfilled.

You had been doing well professionally and were a chief marketing officer in multinational groups in Africa, SouthEast Asia, UAE and Delhi. What made you join the agitation?

I have been working on the issue for the last two years. My father is 82-year-old, he has been fighting for long. My community people are suffering, it is my duty to support them.