Gujjar agitation affects rail, road traffic in Rajasthan

Yash Goyal
Our Correspondent
Jaipur, February 9

Rail and road traffic in parts of Rajasthan continued to be affected on second day on Saturday as Gujjar Aarakshan Sangarsh Samiti’s (GASS) protesters held dharnas on the rail tracks in Sawaimadhopur district.

They have been demanding a separate 5 per cent quota for Gujjars and four other castes.

Meanwhile, 21 trains were diverted on the Delhi-Mumbai route to ensure their smooth movement. One train was cancelled and four others short-terminated. In Ajmer, protesters blocked National Highway 89 from Ajmer to Nagaur, which was later opened for traffic by the police.

“There has been no untoward incident where Gujjars are protesting, though sufficient police and RAC force have been deployed to meet any exigency,” ADGP, Law & Order, ML Lather, said.

“The administration is keeping a close eye on their activities, which so far are peaceful,” he claimed.

Shailendra Singh, general secretary of the samiti led by KS Bainsla, said, “We want a 5 per cent separate quota for MBCs (most backward classes). We will not budge. The state government must come to us for talks. We had set the deadline for Saturday for the government to act, but it failed to do so. We are being forced to launch the agitation.”

Hundreds of protesters led by Bainsla are holding dharnas on the rail tracks between Malrana and Neemod railway stations in Sawaimadhopur district, the police said.

A month ago, Bainsla had warned the state government that they would start agitation from February 8, saying, “We will disrupt rail and road traffic and will hold talks at protest sites with the government till our demands are met in writing. If the Centre can give 10 per cent quota to the upper castes, why not to Gurjars and four other castes as promised by the previous state governments?” 

Meanwhile, the state government has set up a three-member ministerial committee—comprising Vishwendra Singh, Bhanwarlal Meghwal and Raghu Sharma—and sent IAS officer Neeraj K Pawan to the protest site to begin talks with the samiti functionaries on Saturday, an official said.

Meanwhile, taking note of the agitation and blocking of railway tracks, the State Human Rights Commission has directed the government to apprise it of the steps taken to protect those affected by the stir by February 11. Whatever be the genuineness of the cause, the blocking of railway lines and roads violated the rights of the common public, the commission said. If this kind of behaviour is not dealt with strongly, it would lead to anarchy, it added.