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Nearly-month long Gujjar agitation for Scheduled Tribe status was called off on Thursday with an announcement of five per cent reservation for Gujjars, Banjaras, Gadia Lohar and Raika communities. These groups will now be counted as special backward communities.

70 year old Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla was very happy with the announcement and declared an end to the agitation that began on May 23. He reached in Karwadi-Pilupura area, the agitation epicentre, from Jaipur last night and said that they got more than their demands.

“The agreement signed between the Gujjar community and the Rajasthan government is a historic step. We are thankful to the Chief Minister and welcome the government’s decision,” Bainsla told his community members camping in Karwadi while referring to the accord for Gujjar quota under a “special, separate backward class” category.

“The agitation has finally come to an end and I have always maintained that these kind of problems can be sorted through talks. Now I feel the state will move towards progress,” Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje told reporters at a press conference here.

About 35 Gujjar leaders, four state ministers K L Gujjar, Nathu Singh Gujjar, L N Dave, S M Jat, state Bharatiya Janata Party president Om Prakash Mathur and senior party leader Ram Das Agarwal were signatories to the agreement between the two sides.

Soon after his declaration of an end to the protest by Binsala, the agitators vacated the railway track they had been blocking.

The chief minister also announced a 14 percent reservation to economically backward classes of communities like brahmins, rajputs, vaish and kayasthas, but did not explain the details.

Raje said, “We will organize a cabinet meeting tomorrow to define the parameters on whom are to be included (in the 14 percent reservation).”

The 27 day long agitation left as many as 39 people dead and badly affected the tourism in Rajasthan and nearby areas. The Rajasthan government has announced a relief package for the Gujjar community including Rs 5 lakh cash ex gratia each to the next of the kin of those killed in police firing and violence.

Tags: Bainsala, Gujjar, Gujjar Agitation, Rajasthan

Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla who has refused for the second talk with Rajasthan government in Jaipur unless his two demands are met, has agreed the same due to mediation by spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

Earlier on Tuesday, Bainsla demanded to release arrested women, Gujjar activists and withdrawal of murder charge against 20 protesters conditional for the talks to move forward. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar reached Rajasthan on Tuesday and as expected in a dramatic turn of events after meeting the leader, Gujjars agreed to attend the second round of talks with Raje government in Jaipur today.

Officials in the office of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said that on late Tuesday evening Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla, spearheading the community’s agitation for Schedule Tribes status, has conveyed his readiness to resume the talks, Rajasthan government promptly welcomed the development. Bainsla would communicate the strength and composition of the Gujjar delegation today, the officials said.

Earlier on Tuesday Raje government filed sedition case against Bainsala and some other top Gurjar leaders for allegedly making inflammatory speeches. However on the other side, the state government sent a letter to Bainsala asking him to send a delegation in Jaipur for further talks.

The fresh letter to Baisnal was sent after deliberations by the Vasundhara Raje government based on the feedback provided by ministers L N Dave and S M Jat, who attended on Monday’s talks with a 37-member Gujjar delegation at Bayana, an official said in Jaipur. “We are making all efforts from our side” to revive the dialogue process, the official said on phone from Gujjar stronghold of Bayana in Bharatpur district.

The state government has assured Gujjar that all issues mentioned in Bainsla’s letter, which was submitted to the two ministers, would be discussed to arrive at a mutually- acceptable solution, the official added.

Tags: Bainsala, Gujjar, Gujjar Agitation, Ravi Shankar