Gurjar mahapanchayat ends after state govt's assurance on meeting their demands

Jaipur: The Gurjar community's mahapanchayat concluded on Sunday at Karwari Shaheed Memorial in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur following a consensus over the state government's response to their demands, though a section of the community briefly disrupted train services in protest.

The mahapanchayat was convened by the Gurjar Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti in the Pilupura area of Bayana.

Gurjar leader Vijay Bainsla read out the state government's response before the gathering, which included the cabinet's decision to recommend the inclusion of five per cent reservation for Most Backward Classes (MBCs) in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.

The state also agreed to appoint a nodal officer in every district to address cases registered during previous Gurjar agitations, he said.

Bainsla added that the government had also agreed to hold monthly review meetings on Devnarayan Board schemes, expedite pending recruitments, and other issues raised by the community.

However, after the mahapanchayat ended, a group of people gathered at the railway tracks near Fatehsinghpura and halted the 54794 Mathura-Sawai Madhopur passenger train for more than 90 minutes. They also removed clips from the railway track, affecting traffic on the Delhi-Mumbai route.

Railway Protection Force (RPF), local police and administrative officials held talks with the protesters, following which operations resumed, officials said.

"The train movement remained disrupted for more than one and a half hours," Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of North Western Railway said.

Bharatpur Collector Amit Yadav said the area was vacated after talks. Inspector General of Police Rahul Prakash said the protesters were assured that their concerns would be addressed.

Reacting to the incident, Bainsla said that majority from the community was satisfied with the government's response and chose not to focus on isolated acts.

"To get the 5 per cent MBC reservation included in the Ninth Schedule, the state cabinet will recommend the move and urge the Centre to act. This was our key demand and we are happy," he told PTI. The Ninth Schedule contains a list of laws that are shielded from judicial review.

Bainsla also confirmed the government's agreement on appointing nodal officers to dispose of cases from past agitations.

Earlier in the day, the Samiti had issued an ultimatum to the BJP government to respond to its demands by Sunday afternoon.

Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham urged the Gurjar leadership to avoid agitation, saying the government was open to dialogue.

"Everyone has the right to express themselves in a democracy. But when the government is willing to talk, what is the need for a Mahapanchayat or protest?" he said, while also personally appealing to Bainsla.

"He contested the Deoli-Uniyara seat and attends party meetings. I urge him to resolve the issues through dialogue," the minister said.

Due to the mahapanchayat, traffic between Bayana and Hindaun City was diverted via alternate routes, and additional police force was deployed to maintain law and order.

Kirori Singh Bainsla, Vijay Bainsla's late father, had led several Gurjar agitations since 2006, including rail blockades on key routes.