By IANS
Jaipur : The Rajasthan government has started to beef up security in eastern parts of the state, mainly the Gujjar dominated areas, fearing a backlash from the community after a high-power committee’s report rejected its demand for Scheduled Tribe status.
The Justice Jasraj Chopra Committee report, submitted to the Vasundhara Raje government Monday, says the Gujjars “do not fulfil the criteria laid down by the government of India” to attain the tribal status.
The report said the Gujjars are backward and in desperate need of social development funds, but it adds that the committee cannot recommend Scheduled Tribe status for them because they do not meet the criteria laid down long back in 1960s.
The Raje government decided to forward the report to the central government for an appropriate action.
Gujjars, currently classified among the Other Backward Classes (OBC), held rallies all over Rajasthan from May 29 to June 4, demanding to be included in the Scheduled Tribe category. Normal life was paralysed and at least 26 people were killed in the violence that was heading towards a caste war between Meenas and Gujjars.
The agitation ended with an agreement between the state government and community leaders, leading to the formation of the Chopra Committee.
Meenas, a dominant community among tribals in the state, have been opposing the Gujjar demand, fearing dilution of benefits coming to them.
The Gujjars have now made it clear that they would not accept anything less than tribal status that would give them better educational and job opportunities.
“We are not concerned about the report. We wanted a letter from the state government recommending classification of Gujjars as tribals. The government has cheated us,” Roop Singh, a Gujjar leader, said Wednesday.
“We plan to launch agitation. The earlier one was only a precursor, now the government should be ready for a bigger stir from us,” Colonel K.L. Bainsla, leader of the Gujjar Aarakshan Sangarsh Samiti, said.
“We would organise a maha padav (mass sit-in) in Jaipur on Jan 21, if the government fails to accept our demand by then,” added Prahlad Gunjal, another Gujjar leader.
Security arrangements have been beefed up in 14 districts of state. Rajasthan Armed Constabulary (RAC) and Special Task Force (STF) personnel have been deployed there.
All the police stations have been directed to be ready to suppress any violent agitation.
Officials said RAC personnel have been deployed in the Bharatpur, Jaipur, Kota, and Jodhpur range. Additional forces have been deployed in Dausa, Kaurali, Sawai Madhopur, Bundi, Dholpur and Bharatpur.
They said the government did not want to take any chances this time. “We have deployed more police force in sensitive areas,” Rajasthan’s Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said.