Rajasthan bans Gujjar Mahapanchayat

Community agitates again for five per cent reservation

After getting no response from the state government over the issue of special backward classes (SBC) reservation, Gujjar community is again on the path of agitation.

Leaders including Col Kirori Bainsla had called for the community’s Mahapanchayat in Tule-ka-Nangla village in Bharatpur district on August 17.

The Mahapanchayat was aimed to create pressure on the state government for getting five per cent quota and leaders would also decide the new strategy to deal with them.

Meanwhile, local administration swung into action and imposed section 144 in Tule-ka-Nangla village and denied permission to hold Mahapanchayat till Saturday evening.

“We are discussing the issue with our officials. We hope to find some solution before Sunday,” said Giriraj Singh, District Collector, Bharatpur.

The Gujjar leaders had blamed that the administration denied the permission in the pretext of Assembly by-election in one of the constituencies of Bharatpur.

They also blamed that government was trying to create pressure on community.

“Government is trying to build pressure on us. District administration has denied the permission saying that polling dates of Assembly by-election in Weir constituency has been announced on Saturday.

So according to rules we cannot hold any rally in the district,” said Himmant Singh, spokesperson of Gujar Arakashan Sangarsh Samiti.

“But we will hold the Mahapanchayat on the same location and no one can stop us,” he added. Earlier the community leaders had talked of resorting to the old agitation path if the state government fails to show any initiative by August 15 towards fulfilling the quota promise.

Gujjar leader Col Kirori Bainsla said that BJP is now in power at the Centre as well as in the state and that too on its own strength.

It should have no difficulty in getting the SBC quota Act included in Constitution’s Schedule-IX to overcome the legal hurdle against it.

“Before the Assembly and the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP declared in its manifestos that the SBC quota issue would be resolved in its entirety,” said Himmat Singh.

“Eight months have passed since the party came to power, but nothing has moved on the subject. They even showed no response to our 15 day ultimatum. Now we have to decide the future course of action,” added Singh.