By IANS
Jaipur : The decision of the Gujjar community, demanding scheduled tribe status, to hold a large meeting in Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje’s constituency Sunday has got the state administration worried.
The state government has already imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), banning assembly of more than four people, during Aug 21-26 in Alwar and Jhalawar districts.
Jhalrapatan, the venue of the maha panchayat or mega meet, is in Jhalawar district.
Gujjars, however, are going ahead with their preparations for what they call one of the biggest meets of the community.
Gujjars in Rajasthan have been demanding tribal status that would give reservations in schools, colleges and jobs.
“This national mass meet is a warning rally for the state government in which over 300,000 Gujjars from across the country are expected to participate,” Prahlad Gunjal, a Gujjar leader, said here Thursday.
He said that in spite of the government’s efforts to stop this meet, Gujjars would go ahead and make it a successful one.
Gunjal said that if the state government failed to send a letter responding to the Gujjar demand for classifying them as tribals before Sep 7, the community would hold a mass meet in Dholpur, the hometown of Raje’s in-laws, and would be ready to take on the government on the issue.
The Gujjars, presently classified among the other backward classes (OBC), held protests across the state from May 29 to June 4 demanding their inclusion in the scheduled tribe category. At least 26 people were killed in the ensuing violence.