Gurjar quota stir: Rajasthan govt forms three-member cabinet subcommittee

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has constituted a three-member cabinet subcommittee to resolve pending demands of the Gurjar Reservation Action Committee.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Joga Ram Patel, Social Empowerment Minister Avinash Gehlot and Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham have been inducted in the panel to discuss and settle the matter at appropriate levels to make its recommendation to the government, an official spokesman said here on Monday.

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Besides the demand charter of the Gurjar Reservation Action Committee, the panel would examine all aspects of the reservation quota to the most backward classes (MBCs) and would hold parleys with representatives of stakeholder groups and other communities to workout consensus.

The demands, include the inclusion of the clause of the five per cent quota to most backward classes in the ninth schedule of the Constitution, withdrawal of cases registered in connection with activities in the earlier phases of Gurjar agitation and rectification of anomalies in matters related to the roster of appointment in service or admission in higher education institutions.
The Gurjar agitation led by Col Kirodi Singh Bainsla began about 20 years ago to press for Scheduled Caste status for Gurjars. The stir gained pitch by the year 2007-2008 and had witnessed widespread violence in Pilupura, Peepal Kheda – Patoli (Agra Road), Malarna Dungar (Sawai Madhopur) and Khushali Durra(Khandar) that had left 72 persons dead in police firings or mob violence.

The then Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government was forced to sign an agreement assuring Gurjars reservation quota. However, soon by the end of the year 2008, the Raje-led BJP government lost the election and the process of implementation of the accord impaired for some time.

The new Congress government led by Ashok Gehlot had kept agitating Gurjars busy on table talks and in the process solved many ticklish issues but couldn’t make much headway for a final settlement.

Again the Raje government assumed office in December 2013, and that regime gave one per cent reservation to Gurjar, Rebaris, Lohars and some other smaller groups under a new category of the Most Backward Classes. Once more, the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government was installed in December 2018. This government increased 1 per cent MBCs quota to 5 per cent.

Now, the Gurjar led by late Col Bainsla’s son Vijay have been pressing for the inclusion of clause of MBC quota in the 9th schedule of the constitution besides the withdrawal of cases against agitation activists and some other procedural demands.

The Action Committee led by Vijay Bainsla held Gurjar Mahapanchayat in Pilupura Bharatpur on June 8. However, the same was called off the same evening following written assurance for early action on pending issues. The constitution of the 3-member panel may be viewed as the initiation of action for fulfillment of the promise made by the government on June 8.