By IANS
Jaipur : The high-powered Justice Jasraj Chopra committee, which is looking into the demands of Gujjars to grant them tribal status, visited five villages with large Gujjar populations in Rajasthan Wednesday.
“The committee collected details on their lifestyle, educational status etc. from the five villages in Ajmer district, about 140 km from here,” an official told IANS Thursday.
The villages are Solkala, Kala Talab, Khatana Kha Khera and Surajpura. Gujjars had suggested the names of these villages to the committee last month.
Though it was not officially disclosed, hundreds of villagers gathered to press their demands when they came to know about the visit.
In the next few days, the committee is expected to visit more areas in the state to collect information about the community, officials said.
Gujjars belonging to the other backward classes (OBC) held protests all over Rajasthan in May-June 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 died in the violence. Now, Gujjars are demanding that the state government should send a letter to the centre by Oct 2 recommending tribal status to the community.
“We hope that the state government would send the letter by Oct 2, otherwise the government should be ready to face consequences,” Prahlad Gunjal, a Gujjar leader said.
On Sep 13, a Gujjar Maha Panchayat held in Dholpur district decided to launcha “jail bharo” (court arrest) agitation on Oct 2 – the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi – if the government fails to send the letter by then.
The Gujjars also flayed the state government’s decision to give three more months – till Dec 15 – to the Chopra committee before it submits its report.