RSS launches a drive to unify Gujjars, BJP too involved in exercise

Ravi S Singh

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 3

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological spearhead of the BJP, has mounted a drive to bring unity and homogeneity among various groups of Gujjar community.

The drive is being undertaken aggressively in Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP registered a convincing victory in the recent assembly election which enabled the BJP to form a government under Yogi Adityanath for the second successive term.

The social engineering among diverse Gujjar groups is aimed to forge a sense of common identity among them to strengthen their voice and facilitate their political, social and economic empowerment.

In the bargain, the “Saffron” camp would be able to strike roots of endearment for rich political dividends through this outreach to the community.

Top sources said BJP leaders are also actively involved in the exercise.

The RSS has organised a series of meetings of diverse groups on a common platform, including in Meerut, a few days ago after the results of Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

A BJP Rajya Sabha leader from Uttar Pradesh and prominent Gujjar face, Surendra Nagar, confirmed the meeting in Meerut.

“The Gujjars are showing inclination towards the BJP. The community has faith in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Nagar said, and added that the majority section in the community want to organise themselves as one homogenous block.

He said that in the last Assembly election in Uttar Pradesh, the Gujjars preferred the BJP over other parties.

The leaders of the community have projected Emperor “Kaniska the Great” (Second century)-the ruler of Kushan dynasty- as totem and a rallying point to establish the unity and common identity.

Kanishka is said to be a Gujjar.

Nagar said the community wants to reclaim its pride of yore.

Gujjars are mainly concentrated in the north India, across the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Some groups and tribes of the community can be found mainly following Hindu and Muslim religions.

Gujjar is an ethnic agricultural and pastoral community of India.

Although Gujjars have been involved in agriculture, they are a large heterogeneous group that is internally differentiated in terms of culture, religion, occupation, and socio-economic status.

The historical role of Gujjars has been quite diverse in society, at one end they have been founder of several kingdoms, dynasties, districts, cities, and towns, and at the other end, they are also nomads with no land of their own.