By IANS
Jaipur, At least 11 people were killed Tuesday as violence flared in Rajasthan’s Dausa and Bundi areas with police opening fire to disperse thousands of Gujjars demanding Scheduled Tribe status for their community.
There was chaos and tension with the Jaipur-Agra national highway being blocked by angry crowds and the army being called in to tackle the situation.
The worst hit was Patauli near Dausa on the highway, about 80 km from here, where six people, including two policemen were killed, and about 40 injured in the firing, witnesses at the spot said.
However, Madhukar Gupta, commissioner Jaipur range, told IANS: “As per our reports, four civilians are dead and two policemen missing near Dausa.”
Home Secretary V.S. Singh said army battalions had been rushed from Jaipur and Bharatpur to hold flag marches on the national highway near Dausa.
The incident took place around 8 a.m. when about 30,000 Gujjars gathered at the national highway and blocked it.
Police tried to stop them from doing so. When they refused to disperse, the police started hitting the crowds with batons, then fired tear gas and finally resorted to firing.
There was panic and outrage after the attack, with the crowds getting violent and damaging police vehicles. Police had to eventually back out from the scene, the witnesses said.
“We had only two options – either to fire again or leave the area. In the best interests of everybody, we decided to back out,” an official said.
In Bundi, at least five people were killed when police opened fire on the mob near a temple.
“Four persons were killed in Bundi in police firing while one policeman was killed by a violent mob,” a senior police official from Kota range said.
Prohibitory orders have been imposed in Tonk, Jaipur, Dausa, Sawai Madhopur and Karauli districts.
Home department officials admitted that the situation was “bleak” and they were keeping a close watch on developments.
Tension seemed to be spreading with reports of police clashing with Gujjars coming in from other parts like Kothputli on the Jaipur-Delhi highway and Hindon near Dausa.
The Gujjar Sangarsh Samiti had called for blocking all highways leading to Jaipur on Tuesday. Though the police imposed prohibitory orders in six districts and tightened security, it was not enough to stem the violence.
One of the groups, the Gujjar Mahasabha, had postponed its agitation till July 31 after a cabinet sub-committee was formed in September to examine the quota issue and moving the Gujjars from other backward classes (OBCs) to Scheduled Tribe category.
This is not the first time that trouble has broken out over the Gujjar community’s demand that they be given Scheduled Tribe status. In September, protesters had damaged railway tracks and property near the Hindon station, hitting services on the key Mumbai-Delhi section.