Gujjar-Raj govt talks stalled

BHARATPUR: Efforts by Rajasthan government to end the 18-day-old Gujjar stir on Tuesday ran into rough weather with the community leadership making fresh demands of release of arrested women activists and withdrawal of murder charges against 20 protestors as pre-condition for further talks.

Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla, who had termed the first round of parleys yesterday as a "good beginning", has made the two demands a pre-condition for the talks which were to be held in Jaipur, a senior state government official said.

He said that the written commitment given by 70-year-old Bainsla in Bayana on Monday about holding of the next round of talks has been retracted.

"However we are making all efforts from our side" to revive the dialogue process, the official said on phone from Gujjar stronghold of Bayana in this district.

Souce: DNA

Gujjar Women Block Rail Routes Across North India

Protesting Gujjar women have blocked the Delhi-Jaipur and Delhi-Agra rail routes, leaving almost 40,000 passengers stranded.

More than 20 trains on that route have been cancelled and this stand-off could continue for the next 24 hours.

The Rajasthan government is refraining from taking any action against the protesters, as there are signs of the stand-off with Gujjars winding down.

Railway tracks at Bandikuian near Dausa are occupied and all trains from Ahmedabad to Delhi have been cancelled. This rail route via Jaipur is the main link between North India, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

''We have a huge force squatting on the tracks and they have put their women in front, nobody wants to use force against them as this may complicate and aggravate the situation. Twenty trains are not running, even major trains like Rajdhani and Shatabdi and losses of Rs 1 crore in Jaipur itself,'' said Jayant Singh, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Jaipur.


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