scotlandjat
August 24th, 2005, 03:28 AM
RAM RAM TO ALL.
http://www.ndtv.com/morenews/showmorestory.asp?slug=Gujjars+of+Rajasthan+demand +ST+status&id=77746
Monday, August 22, 2005 (Jaipur):
In a new twist to the reservations debate, the Gujjar community now wants to get Scheduled Tribe (ST) status in Rajasthan.
The 65 lakh Gujjars in the state are currently in the OBC list, but they claim the inclusion of some powerful castes into the OBC category in recent years has deprived them of all benefits from OBC reservations.
Agitation launched
The Gujjars say socially and economically, they are just as backward as most castes on the ST list.
And to push the Vasundhara government to include them in the ST category, the Gujjars have now launched a statewide agitation.
"Prosperous castes like Jats and Vishnois have been given OBC status. After that, OBC reservations have become useless for our community as our children are getting no jobs at all. So we must get ST status now," said a Gujjar villager.
"Educationally and economically our caste is very weak and we hardly own any land. If the government does not include us in ST reservations, we will become beggars in five years," said another villager.
Changing equations
Three years ago, the Central SC/ST Commission had asked the Rajasthan government to clarify whether the Gujjars should be given ST status.
But neither the former Gehlot government nor the current Vasundhara government has given any response. Besides a protest rally on Sunday, the Gujjars have also begun a hunger strike to press for their demand.
"Now we will continue our hunger strike till we get a reply to our demand, even if we have to die," said Ram Gopal, President, Gujjar Mahasabha, Rajasthan.
In the last Assembly elections in Rajasthan, the demand for OBC reservations to Rajputs had played a crucial role.
And with the Gujjars now in a restless mood, caste equations in the state seem set to become more complicated
http://www.ndtv.com/morenews/showmorestory.asp?slug=Gujjars+of+Rajasthan+demand +ST+status&id=77746
Monday, August 22, 2005 (Jaipur):
In a new twist to the reservations debate, the Gujjar community now wants to get Scheduled Tribe (ST) status in Rajasthan.
The 65 lakh Gujjars in the state are currently in the OBC list, but they claim the inclusion of some powerful castes into the OBC category in recent years has deprived them of all benefits from OBC reservations.
Agitation launched
The Gujjars say socially and economically, they are just as backward as most castes on the ST list.
And to push the Vasundhara government to include them in the ST category, the Gujjars have now launched a statewide agitation.
"Prosperous castes like Jats and Vishnois have been given OBC status. After that, OBC reservations have become useless for our community as our children are getting no jobs at all. So we must get ST status now," said a Gujjar villager.
"Educationally and economically our caste is very weak and we hardly own any land. If the government does not include us in ST reservations, we will become beggars in five years," said another villager.
Changing equations
Three years ago, the Central SC/ST Commission had asked the Rajasthan government to clarify whether the Gujjars should be given ST status.
But neither the former Gehlot government nor the current Vasundhara government has given any response. Besides a protest rally on Sunday, the Gujjars have also begun a hunger strike to press for their demand.
"Now we will continue our hunger strike till we get a reply to our demand, even if we have to die," said Ram Gopal, President, Gujjar Mahasabha, Rajasthan.
In the last Assembly elections in Rajasthan, the demand for OBC reservations to Rajputs had played a crucial role.
And with the Gujjars now in a restless mood, caste equations in the state seem set to become more complicated