Rajasthan: Demanding 5% Reservation, Protesters From Gujjar Community Block Railway Tracks

Protesters of Gujjar community blocked five railway tracks and led to a divergence of around eight trains. Hundreds of protesters belonging from Gujjar community are protesting at railway tracks in Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan since yesterday.

Around five trains were prevented to reach their destinations, more than eight diverged, and one was cancelled. This has adversely affected the railway transportation of Delhi-Mumbai route.

They are demanding a five percent reservation for their community that was promised by the Rajasthan government. The demand involves reservation in educational institutions and government jobs to people of Gujjars, Raika-Rebari, Gadia Luhar, Banjara and Gadaria communities.

Chief of Gujjar Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti Kirori Singh Bainsla assured that the protest would be peaceful and their fight is to do or die. He also emphasised that political parties cannot befool the public all the time. Acting as the leader of the protest Kirori Singh says that he is supported by the youths.

One of the youth protesters told ANI, “We have a good Chief Minister and a good Prime Minister. (But) We want that they listen to the demands of the Gujjar community. It isn’t an uphill task for them to provide reservation,” reported NDTV.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot urges for peace

Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot has urged protesters to call off the protest from the railway tracks. He also said that the government is ready to hold talks. “The Congress government had heard the issues in the previous tenure and made efforts at the state level. I appeal people to maintain peace,” he said.

The state administration has deployed several personnel under Sawai Madhopur region. Inspector General of Bharatpur Range Bhupendre Sahu has confirmed that 17 Rajasthan Armed Constabulary (RAC) companies and including special task force have been deployed for maintaining the law and order in the region.

In October last year, the Rajasthan government had passed a bill providing a rise in the reservation of Other Backwards Classes (OBC) from 21 percent to 26 percent. Later in December 2018, it was observed that the state government approved only one percent reservation for the Gujjar and four other backward class communities. The Gujjar community leader had threatened the state government last year in December to start a protest if the government failed to meet the demand of five percent reservation for the five communities.

At present, the Gujjar community are getting one percent reservation as a part of 50 percent as a legal limit set by the government.

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