2008 Gurjar unrest in Rajasthan

Violence erupted in the state of Rajasthan in India on May 23, 2008 when protesters belonging to the Gujjar caste who were demonstrating for scheduled tribe status, lynched a policeman in Bharatpur district in Rajasthan. In response, police shot at protesters as they tried to damage railway lines and government property. At least 15 were killed on the spot.

On May 24, the Indian army was called in to help calm the violence as another 15 people were killed when police shot at a mob protesters trying to torch a police station in Sikandra. Thousands of protesters blocked a rail route between Delhi and Mumbai. Highways have also been blocked, and state authorities have cancelled many buses.

CONTENTS

• Background
• Violence
• Security forces' action
• Government's response
• Political reactions

Background

Gujjars — a farming and trading tribe — are classified by the government as an "unscheduled tribe." They are part of the caste system that do not face as much exclusion or discrimination in society. Gujjars are considered among the low born in India's complex caste hierarchy. The Gujjar community feels it has been economically and educationally left behind and it wants to be reclassified at a lower level — as a scheduled tribe. They demand scheduled tribe status so that they can can qualify for the nearly half of all government jobs and state college seats reserved solely for the lowest castes, who tend to be poorer than their high-caste compatriots. The Indian government has put in place an affirmative action plan that sets aside job and educational quotas for the disadvantaged groups that it classifies as Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes. These communities, the government believes, needs extra assistance to overcome centuries of discrimination.

The state government however has so far declined them from the status. Instead has announced to spend Rs. 2.82 billion ($ 67 million) for improving schools, clinics, roads and other infrastructure in Gujjar-dominated areas. However, Gujjar leaders have said that they "do not want money". Kirori Singh Bhainsla, the head of the main Gujjar protest organisation issued a statement — "We do not accept the economic package."

Even in 2007, Gujjars in Rajasthan had fought police and members of another caste that already qualifies for job quotas. At least 26 people were killed in that violence. In wake of the ongoing Gujjar agitation in neighbouring Rajasthan, high alert has been sounded in the border districts of Madhya Pradesh to check any spread of violence.[2] The agitation finally ended after Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasnundhara Raje agreed on a 5% reservation under a new special category.

Violence

Police in Sikandra town fired at protesters who torched a police station and two buses and shot and wounded a policeman, said Amanjit Singh Gill, Rajasthan's director-general of police. Protesters also burned down a police station in the nearby village of Chandra Guddaji, Gill said. Fifteen demonstrators died Friday when police fired live ammunition and tear gas to halt rioting, said Singh. A police officer was also beaten to death. At least 70 injured people were hospitalized inJaipur, the state capital, and the town of Dosa.

Demonstrators blocked a major highway linking Jaipur to Agra — site of the world famous Taj Mahal monument — stranding thousands of people. Thousands of army, police and paramilitary forces patrolled villages to control the violence.

May 26 witnessed sporadic violence when more than 36 towns observed a bandh to protest against the police firing. Six wagons of a goods train on its way to Agra derailed near Bandikui station in Dausa district due to tampering of rail tracks, allegedly by the Gujjars. Northern railway cancelled nine trains passing through Rajasthan and diverted several others to different routes

Security forces' action

The Indian Army, the Rapid Action Force, jawans of the Rajasthan Armed Constabulary, besides the Rajasthan police, carried out patrolling in the troubled districts of Bharatpur, Karauli and Dausa as at least a dozen places, including Alwar, Kotputli, and Kekri in Ajmer, Pali and Rayla in Bhilwara observed bandhs (closure or curtailing of city businesses, offices and civilian activity due to security fears).

Government's response

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on May 25 said there is a limit to everything and that her government will not allow Gujjars to take the state to "ransom". "It is shocking that notorious dacoits and goonda elements, wielding arm and ammunition, have joined Kirori Singh Bainsla and are indulging in arson and violence. Such things will not be tolerated," Raje stated. The government will not allow anyone to take the state to ransom and law and order into their own hands, she warned. Raje alleged "a political party from a neighbouring state was instigating and pumping money" to fuel the violence in the state. She said the government is open for talks to resolve the issue in a peaceful manner and regretted that Bainsla has been rejecting her appeals. Expressing anguish over the violent incidents that have rocked the state since the past two days resulting in death of 37 people, Raje said there is limit for "bearing such violence and arson" and warned of stringent action against those who take the state to ransom. She said it was very unfortunate that the violence comes in the wake of the Jaipur bombings which claimed 66 lives.

On February 26, the Chief Minister announced that she would write to the Prime Minister of India recommending placing Gujjars in the category of de-notified tribes, setting aside a reservation of 4-6 per cent for them. With post-mortem examination and the last rites yet to be performed on the bodies of 18 persons killed in police firing, the Rajasthan government on made it clear that a commando operation would be the “last option” for the recovery of the bodies now in the custody of large congregations of Gujjars at Karwadi village in Bayana tehsil of Bharatpur and at Sikandra in Dausa district. “We could have recovered the bodies in less than two hours using force. However, we will not do that considering the chances of further bloodshed,” Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajendra Singh Rathore told journalists here that the “Gujjar reservation is a national issue. The Cabinet has decided to write to the Prime Minister requesting him to convene a meeting of Chief Ministers to review the National Scheduled Tribe Policy document of 2006.”

However, on May 27 Kirori Singh Bhainsla rejected Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's proposal for additional reservation for the agitating community. Bainsla’s rejection of the proposal was unexpected, as he had earlier welcomed Raje’s move to recommend in a letter to the Prime Minister four to six percent special reservation for the community.

Political reactions

Congress MP Sachin Pilot, after being denied permission to visit Dausa district to meet agitating Gujjar leaders. He demanded, the Rajasthan government led by Vasundhara Raje must quit as it had lost the moral right to rule after the death of 35 people in clashes, saying, "The Vasundhara Raje government has lost its moral right and constitutional authority to continue in power. It has to admit the misgivings and must quit office now. You cannot terrorise a community."