Jat leaders feel let down by new reservation law

Sushil Manav
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 10

Jat quota leaders in Haryana feel let down by the Centre’s new reservation law that seeks to provide 10 per cent reservation to economically weaker sections among the general categories.

The Jat quota leaders are of the view that the government had left them in the lurch, as they have neither been provided quota as backward classes nor they would be able to get benefit of the new law in Haryana since they are already included in BC (C).

Haryana had given 10 per cent reservation to the Jats and five other castes under the Haryana Backward Classes Act, 2016, and even the economically weaker sections from the unreserved castes were given 10 per cent reservation, but both were stayed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court and are now sub judice.

“The government should at least explain to the Jats what treatment it wants to give to the community. We don’t stand any chances of getting quota as BC (C), because the apex court has clearly said that quota for SCs and BCs cannot exceed 50 per cent. We wanted the Jats to be included in the BC (B) category so that we can get our quota within the 50 per cent cap, but the government is silent on it. Even the new Act, which will benefit Jatts in Punjab, but we in Haryana will not get benefits unless the Haryana Backward Classes Act, 2016, is scrapped and we come under the general category,” said Yashpal Malik, president, All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS).

He, however, said that the Jats would get benefit of the new law at the Centre.

Will a quota under the new law be acceptable to the Jats, in case they are considered eligible for it, Malik said, “Our will does not matter because our demand is for quota under BC (B) and not under the general category.”

Baldev Raj Mahajan, Advocate General, Haryana, however, said that the Jats would also get quota under the new Central law, as they cannot be debarred from both – the Haryana Backward Classes Act as well as the new Central law for general categories.

“I cannot comment on the new Act till I see its complete text, but I am sure that the Jats would get quota under the new law. Let the new Act come and we will see to it that they are included in it,” Mahajan added.

Hawa Singh Sangwan, president of the AIJASS (Sangwan faction), however, said even if Jats were eligible to get quota under the new law, it would not be acceptable to them. “Those included in general categories are largely urbanites. Since their children study in good schools and colleges in contrast to Jats who mostly live in villages or small towns, our children are not able to compete with them. Our demand is that the Jats should be given quota under the OBC category only,” Sangwan said.