Jat community plans quota stir in Haryana from Aug 16

The quota agitation by the dominant Jat community in Haryana seeking reservation in jobs will begin on August 16, reigniting fears of widespread violence when the state was held to ransom by protesters for days during the quota stir in 2016.

The ugly Jat quota stir two years ago had crippled normal life with protesters indulging in widespread violence, loot and arson for days together.

Public and private properties were set on fire with the state machinery acting as mute spectators before hoodlums who went on a rampage on the streets.

The decision by the community leaders has triggered similar fear among the public even as the state police has assured that there would be no repeat of the violent 2016 quota agitation.

Jat quota leader Yashpal Malik, who is spearheading the move to re-launch the quota stir, said the community leaders will be meeting at various places in the run up to the August 16 protest.

He said the plan of action and the nature of agitation will be decided in these meetings. The Monsoon Session of the Haryana Assembly begins on August 15. Jat leaders said the government perhaps wants a similar scenario in the state as was witnessed during the recent Maratha agitation.

Among the prominent demands is the withdrawal of cases that were registered against the community leaders during the ugly quota stir in 2016.

The BJP-led Khattar government had buckled under pressure and announced to withdraw these cases. Out of the nearly 2200 cases that were registered against those who indulged in unlawful activities during the agitation, a whopping 2000 cases have already been withdrawn. However, the remaining cases are difficult to withdraw given the serious nature of the cases that were registered by the state police.

Haryana region, especially around the National Capital Region (NCR) and Jat-dominated area of Rohtak, Hisar, Kaithal and Jind, were the epicenter of the violence.

The state government, while gearing up to meet the challenge of the ensuing agitation, has assured that protesters will not be allowed to take the law into their hands.