By IANS
Jaipur : Thousands of Gujjars courted arrests across Rajasthan Tuesday to press for their community’s inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes category.
Gujjar milkmen, who constitute the majority of milk suppliers in the state, announced they would not distribute milk from Tuesday till the Vasundhara Raje government recommends tribal status for the community.
Security across the state was beefed up with over 70,000 police personnel deployed, and additional forces from the central government also called in.
Around 260 makeshift jails have been set up across Rajasthan to accommodate the around 200,000 people who plan to court arrests. The arrests are likely to continue till late into the night, a police official said.
Gujjars, the major suppliers of milk b besides the Meena community, said they would stop milk supplies to dairies and homes. “We will not distribute milk till the Vasundhara Raje government sends a letter to the central government recommending tribal status for our community,” said Ramphool Singh, a Gujjar.
Nearly 25,000 Gujjars, including Congress MP Sachin Pilot, have gathered in Jaipur, and over 30,000 were present in Bharatpur where Colonel K.L. Bainsla, head of the Gujjar Aarakashan Sangarsh Samiti, with other Gujjar leaders was camping. Over 20,000 Gujjars were gathered in Kota and 5,000 in Rajsamand.
Gujjar activists were asked to board buses and were taken to make-shift jails, mainly schools. In Kota, a majority of the Gujjar activists courted arrests till late evening.
“We are ready to tackle the situation. We will take into custody all those who court arrests,” said state Home Minister Gulab Chand Katariya.
“Our agitation was non-violent and as of now no report of any untoward incident has come in from any part of state. We will continue our fight till our demand is met,” Roop Singh, of the Gujjar Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti fighting for tribal status, told IANS by telephone.
Earlier in the day, enthusiastic Gujjars, many sporting colourful turbans, were seen trooping in hundreds from their villages and shouting slogans against Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.
One slogan said: “Yeh diwane kahan chale, jail chale, jail chale” (where are these people going… to jail, to jail).
Some were even spotted dancing and singing in tractor-trolleys as they passed through villages on their way to congregation points.
Most of the agitators were not carrying their sticks as the community leaders decided to observe a non-violent protest, emulating Mahatma Gandhi’s principles of non-violence on his birth anniversary Tuesday.
Gujjars, presently categorised as other backward classes (OBC), had held protests all over Rajasthan from May 29 to June 4, demanding their inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes category that would give them better employment and educational opportunities. The protests turned violent, leading to at least 26 people being killed.
“If the government does not accept our demands by Oct 11, 200,000 women will start filling the jails in the state,” said Prahlad Gunjal, a community leader.
The assembly of five or more persons has been prohibited in 18 of the state’s 33 districts.
Students’ studies were disrupted as government school buildings have been converted into makeshift jails. Class tests are scheduled to begin in most schools by Oct 15.
In Jaipur city alone, 11 educational institutions, including three colleges, three primary schools and five secondary schools, have been converted into temporary jails.
“Why should a protest be held at our expense? Our studies have been completely ruined. The government should have taken other buildings for jails… why educational institutions?” asked Radhika Patwari, a Class 8 student.
Officials said alternative arrangements had been made.
“We have made other arrangement for students of the schools occupied for administrative use. Arrangements have been made in nearby schools for the students so that studies can continue uninterrupted,” an education department official told IANS.
Parents, however, were an angry lot. “Do you think my child can study in this way? The government should have decided on some other way of tackling the situation,” said Ladu Ram, who has two school-going children.