Peace with Gujjar

Peace with Gujjar

The Gujjars finally called off their 27 day-long violent agitation, disrupting road and train communication, inflicting untold hardship to common men and loss of 39 lives, after extracting several benefits for the community excepting their major demand of ST status to the community. The Rajasthan Chief Minister, Vasundhara Raje announced 5 per cent reservation for Gujjars along with Banjara, Gadia, Luhars and Raikas as special category in government jobs and educational institutions, Panchayats and local self bodies. She has agreed to pay compensation of Rs 5 lakh to each of the deceased family killed during the agitation, provide job to one member of the deceased family and also compensation ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 1 lakh to the injured depending on the severity of the injury. She has also agreed to follow up with the Union Government for granting ST status to the Gujjars. Col (rtd) KS Bainsla, leader of the Gujjars appeared satisfied with the generous offer of the Rajasthan Chief Minister. The Chief Minister, to satisfy the higher castes also announced 14 per cent reservation for Economically Backward Communities such as Brahmins, Vaishyas and Kayasthas including Bohra Muslims, setting a precedence, raising the total reservation to 68 per cent in violation of Supreme Court’s ruling that reservation should not exceed 49 per cent.From the beginning the Rajasthan Government’s dealing with the Gujjar agitation shows lack of firmness. It allowed the situation to drift out of control resulting in complete break down of law and order allowing the agitators to damage national high ways, railway lines, burn police stations and public property. Now the Rajasthan government has agreed to withdraw cases against those involved in such mayhem. The State government appeared spineless and allowed the agitators to dictate terms. The Chief Minister’s announcement of 14 per cent reservation for high classes would open similar demands in other States. She has bought peace temporarily to face the coming Assembly elections, but her reservation policy of 68 per cent would be subject to judicial scrutiny and likely to be declared unconstitutional, which would result in fresh bout of agitation. Already, the Meena Community is dissatisfied with Vasundhara Raje’s dealing with the Gujjars. They are not likely to offer support to the Vasundgara Raje’s scheme of 68 per cent reservation. This is a classic case of a State caught in its own quagmire abandoning its constitutional role in the compulsions of vote bank politics. Source: assamtribune editorial 21.06.08

Gujjar agitation costs India Inc Rs 7000 cr

Gujjar agitation costs India Inc Rs 7000 cr

19 Jun, 2008, 2010 hrs IST, IANS

NEW DELHI: Rajasthan is back on track with the Gujjar leaders calling off their 25-day long agitation. The total loss incurred during this period is Rs 7000 crore ($1.75 billion), according to an industry body. "The 25-day-long agitation has led to losses of above Rs 7000 crore to various industries and specifically railways," Sajjan Jindal, president of Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), told reporters. "The major blows fell on the railways and tourism industry. Also, the disruption of railway freight traffic caused production delays in many parts of the country," Jindal said. "The figures do not include the losses of property and damages done to railway tracks," he added.

Though the railways have not come up with any loss figure so far, sources said the Gujjar agitation resulted in a loss of about Rs 500 million to it due to cancellation of tickets alone. The Delhi-Mumbai trunk route was the worst-affected owing to the blockades in Rajasthan. Both western and northern railways have suffered huge losses. "More than 1,000 trains were either cancelled or diverted or terminated before their destinations during this period," an official said. According to North-Western Railways (NWR), 50,000 passengers and goods worth Rs.120 million were stranded due to the agitation. The NWR suffered about Rs 375 million loss. "The freight corridor between Mumbai and Delhi via Rajasthan was the worst affected due to the blockade, and the movement of container trains dropped to less then 50 per cent between Jaipur and Delhi," the official added. Now normal rail traffic will be restored in a day or two. Mudit Mittal, spokesperson of West Central Railway, said: "We have already opened many lines and the lines passing the worst affected areas will be opened after 18-20 hours. The repair work of the track has already started. "However, for some time we will put speed restriction of 20 km per hour for the trains in the affected areas. "A team from railways will go for inspection and will repair the broken tracks. Then only the complete railway services will be restored. The process will take one or two days," said a senior railway ministry official. He added that the damages caused to the railways will be calculated only after an inspection.