Gujjar stir in Rajasthan unabated, spreads to other states

3 June, 2007:

The Gujjars of Rajasthan are continuing their agitation demanding Scheduled Tribe status. The situation in the state continues to be tense.

The turbulence, which started four days ago, has so far claimed 23 lives.

Major roads that connect Rajasthan with neighbouring states still stay blocked. Travelers are in serious trouble as both rail and road traffic remained severely affected for the sixth consecutive day on June 3, 2007. Services of a total of 40 trains have been hit by the agitation.

Prohibitory orders under Section 144 have been clamped in parts of Dausa town.

The agitation shows no sign of abating as thousands of Gujjars are still blocking the Jaipur-Agra section of National Highway 11 between Peepalkheda and Patoli. The Gujjars are keeping vigil over the bodies of six victims, who died in the police firing on May 29, 2007.

Traffic on the Jaipur-Kota and Jaipur-Delhi highways has also been badly affected.

The Army has been deployed in the districts of Kota, Boondi, Sawaimadhopur, Bharatpur, Karoli and Jhalawar.

Shoot-at-sight orders have been issued in Bayana district.

Meanwhile, the Meenas, a dominant community in Rajasthan, is locked in a direct conflict with the Gujjars on the issue of Scheduled Tribe status, with Meenas even threatening to remove the blockade on the Agra-Jaipur highway if the Gujjars did not give up agitation.

Worse, it seems the trouble in Rajasthan is spreading, even reaching Delhi, the national capital. Gujjars are already protesting in Faridabad, Haryana, just outside Delhi. Police in Faridabad have had to fire in the air to disperse crowds after a police vehicle was reportedly set on fire.

The Mehrauli-Gurgaon road, one of the main roads from Delhi to suburb Gurgaon, has been blocked.

On the political level, the talks between the BJP government in Rajasthan and the Gujjars have broken down. Talks are likely to resume soon.