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the written commitment given by 70-year-old Bainsla in Bayana on Monday about holding of the next round of talks has been retracted.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 stir: 27 trains cancelled, several diverted

New Delhi, June 6: Northern Railways on Friday cancelled 27 trains passing through Rajasthan and diverted several others in the wake of the ongoing agitation by the Gujjar community in the state, causing acute hardship to commuters.
Train services have been stopped due to the agitation by Gujjar Samaj Mahapanchayat Samiti and large-scale public disturbance between Gangapur City-Bayana section in Kota Division, a Northern Railway statement said.

Railway officials said the trains have been cancelled in the interest of passengers' safety.

The trains that have been cancelled are Dehradun Express, Delhi-Nimach Link Express, Nizamuddin-Udaipur Intercity, August Kranti Rajdhani, Mumbai Janta Express, Bandra Garibrath, Gujarat Sampark Kranti, Jammu-Bandra Special, Bandra-Amritsar Special, Gorakhpur-Bandra Awadh Express and Ahmedabad Rajdhani.


Source: Expressindia

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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Gujjar protests spread to Delhi, minister's son held

Gurgaon/Jaipur, May 28: The Gujjar agitation for ST status on Wednesday spread to the national capital region (NCR) with protesters blocking traffic on certain key stretches as agitators forced shutdowns in several areas in Rajasthan.
A group of protesters set tyres afire in Gurgaon's M G Road area, where major malls are located, causing a major traffic jam, police said. They dispersed after police intervened.

Vehicular movement was affected in sections of Mehrauli-Gurgaon and GT-Karnal roads by protesters who put up blockades.

With the Gujjars threatening to bring the NCR to a halt tomorrow, large contingents of police are keeping a close watch across the capital, especially in Gujjar-strongholds of Mehrauli, Ghazipur, Patparganj, Badarpur, Khanpur, Ayanagar, Chilia village and Rampur.

In Rajasthan, the agitators forced shutdowns in Tonk, Sawaimadhopur, Rajsamand, Rawatbhata, Pali and Deoli areas.

Traffic was also affected on the Jaipur-Agra, Jaipur- Kota and Udaipur-Ahmedabad national highways, police sources in Jaipur said.

Rajasthan Government has clamped in 15 districts the stringent National Security Act, under which a person can be arrested without a warrant.

Meanwhile, the Rajasthan government today said the reservation should be done at the Central level and asked the community members to "use their wisdom".

"Now the entire proceedings of reservation should be done at the Centre level. The Gujjar community should take their initiatives to the Centre and use their wisdom," Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said in a full-page advertisement carried by leading newspapers.

She also appealed to the Gujjars to stop violence, understand the reservation procedure and come forward to settle the issue through dialogue.

While the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has referred the issue of reservation sought for Gujjars by Raje to the Law Ministry, the Congress dismissed her recommendation saying it was "immature" and legally untenable.

Meanwhile, Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla, who is camping in Karwadi village in Bharatpur district, accused the Centre and Rajasthan Government of adopting "time buying tactics" on the community's demand for ST status.

"The Prime Minister's Office by referring the issue to the Law Ministry is part of the time-buying tactics adopted by the Central and Rajasthan governments," Bainsla said.

He was responding to questions on the PMO's decision to refer to the Law Ministry the letter of Raje seeking a separate quota for Gujjars.

"Only granting ST status for Gujjars will end the agitation," he said.

Bainsla asked the Rajasthan Government to send a "clear and factual" report to the Centre on the community's demand.

Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil chaired a meeting with Special Secretary (Internal Security) M L Kumawat and Delhi Police chief Y S Dadwal yesterday and is understood to have later briefed the Prime Minister on the situation.

Raj minister's son held

Police on Wednesday arrested Devalal, son of the Rajasthan Panchayat Minister Kalulal Gujjar, for allegedly planning a meeting for Gujjar agitation and road blockade at Karaoi village in Bhilwara district.

Devalal, arrested under section 151 apprehending public nuisance and law and order would be produced before the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, SP Bhilwara, Mohan Singh said.

The minister has not been supporting the ongoing Gurjjar agitation in the state but he is the one who raised ST quota demand during the previous Congress government.

Source: Expressindia

Rajasthan HC Issues Contempt Notice to Gujjar Chief Bainsla

Jaipur: The Rajasthan High Court Tuesday issued a contempt notice to Gujjar leader K.S. Bainsla for allegedly violating its order restraining him from resorting to violence and directed him to appear before the court on May 30.

Justice Prem Shankar Asopa's directive came after a contempt petition against 13 Gujjars, including Bainsla, came up for hearing in the court Tuesday. If Bainsla does not appear on May 30, the court will issue a bailable warrant for his arrest.

The high court has asked the collector of Bharatpur to serve a contempt notice to Colonel Bainsla, who heads the Gujjar Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (Gujjar pro-reservation front) fighting for Scheduled Tribe status to the community.

At least 37 people have died in the agitation that began last week Friday with the community blocking roads and rail tracks in several places.

The court also sought an explanation from Rajasthan's chief secretary, home secretary and director general of police on the actions taken so far to prevent the breakdown of law and order.

As the Gujjar movement showed little signs of ebbing, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje was Monday summoned by Governor S.K. Singh. In a meeting that lasted over 45 minutes, the chief minister apprised him of the steps being taken to maintain peace. The governor asked the chief minister to resolve the issue by holding talks with Gujjar leaders.

'The governor said the crisis had started affecting the common person and should be resolved as quickly as possible,' sources in the governor's residence said.

Source: Sulekha News