By IANS
Jaipur : A tribals’ organisation representing the Meenas – a major community in Rajasthan – and others presently in the scheduled tribe category is planning to hold a mass meet here Sunday to oppose any move to grant tribal status to the Gujjar community.
“We are holding a maha panchayat (mass meet) in Palri Meena area in Jaipur where we are going to demand abolition of Justice Jasraj Chopra committee looking into the demands of classifying Gujjars as tribals”, Shreenarayan Kaimla, leader of Janjati Aarakshan Bachao Sankyut Sangarsh Samiti told reporters here.
“We would not allow government to tamper with the existing list of tribals in the state,” he said.
Kaimla threatened that if their demand of abolishing Chopra committee was not accepted by the government, the tribals would forcibly take over control of various government buildings, including the state assembly.
Demonstrations would also be carried out at the residence of the ministers, he added.
A few months back, a delegation of the Meena community had met the Chopra committee and had conveyed that Gujjars do not qualify any of the conditions that could classify them as tribals.
Gujjars, presently belonging to the other backward classes (OBC), held protests all over Rajasthan from May 29 to June 4 demanding their inclusion into the scheduled tribe category that would give them better employment and educational opportunities.
Normal life was paralysed and at least 26 people were killed in the violence.