Home India Politics Rajasthan Meenas threaten stir if Gujjars get tribal status

Rajasthan Meenas threaten stir if Gujjars get tribal status

Jaipur, Sep 25 (IANS) More trouble seems to be brewing for the Vasundhara Raje government in Rajasthan as now the Meena community has threatened to launch an agitation against any move to tamper with the existing list of the Scheduled Tribes in the state.

The Meenas, who are opposing any move to classify the Gujjars as tribals, said the Gujjars, by planning to court mass arrests on Oct 2, were trying to pressurize the state government to accept their demand.

“We had met in Jaipur a couple of days back and we decided to hold mass meetings in various parts of the state. The first of such conventions is slated to be held at Thanagaji in Alwar district on Sep 30,” said Bhanwar Lal Meena, senior leader of the Rashtriya Janajati Aarakshan Bachao Sankyut Sangarsh Samiti, a body of the Meenas.

The second meeting would be held on Oct 7 in the religious town of Katushyamji and the third on Oct 14 in Karauli, he said Thursday.

More such meetings and conventions are being planned for which the dates would be announced later, the leader added.

“During these mass meetings, we would ask the government not to accept the demands of the Gujjars and abolish the justice Jasraj Chopra committee that is looking into their demand to grant them tribal status,” Bhanwar Lal Meena said.

“Our community members are also uniting and the government would have to face serious consequences if it tampers with the existing tribal list,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Gujjars have started preparing to court mass arrests on Oct 2 on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday. “Every Gujjar in the age group of 17 to 70 years would court arrest on Oct 2,” Prahlad Gunjal, a Gujjar leader said.

As per rough estimates, over 500,000 Gujjars are expected to court arrest in support of their demand.

The high-powered Justice Jasraj Chopra committee is expected to visit 300 villages in the state where the Gujjars have large populations.

“The committee was invited to tour 400 villages by the Gujjars in their representations. The committee is planning to cover around 300 and if need be it may even think of undertaking aerial survey of some of areas,” sources said.

The Gujjars, presently belonging to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) categfory, held protests all over Rajasthan from May 29 to June 4 this year, demanding inclusion into the Scheduled Tribes category.

Normal life was paralysed in many towns and cities, and at least 26 people were killed in the violence during that period.