In a bid to revive the two-decade-old Gurjar agitation on the core demand of reservation, a huge congregation – the Gurjar Mahapanchayat – was held by the Gurjar Reservation Action Committee at Pilupura village in the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan on Sunday.

The Mahapanchayat, held for taking the call on the course of the agitation programme, its schedule, and strategy, was attended by community people from over more than 50 villages of Bharatpur, Karauli, SawaiMadhopur in Rajasthan and the Mathura and Agra districts of Uttar Pradesh.

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Addressing the congregation, the leaders of the Action Committee said their demands, even the issues that arose from the implementation of the agreed demands, were pending for over a decade. However, the people now are desperate to reach a final settlement either through amicable dialogue with the government or by way of agitation, if the talks didn’t work.

However, the congregation concluded to an abrupt end as the Action Committee President Vijay Bainsla announced that since the state government has assured time-bound implementation of the demands, no agitation was needed for now.

Prior to this, the Committee has issued an ultimatum to the government seeking a written assurance on its demands by 12 noon on Sunday. This was extended further for two hours which too lapsed.

This uncertainty over the government’s word continued till 4:30 pm when the Reservation Action Committee chief Bainsla, in his speech, read out the written draft that he received for the audience.

Thereafter, Bainsla concluded his address by calling off the Mahapanchayat (dharna) in view of the assurance given in the draft (letter) from the government.

The government, in the letter, assured that the formal cabinet proposal would be sent to the Centre for inclusion of MBC quota in the 9th schedule of the constitution, Bainsla said.

However, Bainsla’s stance and decision to call off the Mahapanchayat evoked sharp protests from groups of youths who had blocked nearby railway tracks and also stopped a local train. Many were seen trying to loosen fish plates of the tracks creating problems for train traffic on the key rail route.

The Mahapanchayat was held at the venue in Pilupura along the Nation Highway in the vicinity of the Delhi-Mumbai railway tracks that had witnessed an eventful phase of violence and prolonged dharna at the track in 2008.

An Action Committee spokesman said they want an amicable but early settlement of their demands. The government should not push us again on rail tracks (to stage dharna).

However, Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham said the government was ever ready for talks. However, some people in the Action Committee were adamant on launching the stir.

Meanwhile, the administration has made security arrangements as a precautionary step, deploying police force and other armed forces at key points in Bharatpur, Bayana, and at the congregation site.

The demands include inclusion of provision of the 5 per cent quota to most backward classes (MBC) 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 rosters of appointment in service or admission in higher education institutions.

The Gurjar agitation led by Col Kirodi Singh Bainsla had begun about 20 years ago for pressing the Schedule Caste status for the community. The stir gained momentum by year 2007-2008 when widespread violence in Pilupura, Peepal kheda-Patoli (Agra Road), Malarna Dungar (Sawai Madhopur) and Khushali Durra (Khandar) left 72 persons dead in police firings or mob violence. The then Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government was forced to sign an agreement ensuring Gurjar reservation quota. However, soon by the end of 2008, the Raje-led BJP government lost the election and the process of the 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 not much headway for final settlement. Then again the Raje government assumed the office in December 2013 and gave one per cent reservation to Gurjar, Rebaris, Lohars and some other smaller groups under a new category of the Most Backward Class (MBCs).

Yet again, the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government was installed in December 2018, this government had increased 1 per cent MBCs quota to 5 per cent. Now, the Gujjar’s led by Col Bainsla’s son, Vijay, have been pressing for inclusion of a clause of MBC quota in 9th schedule of constitution besides withdrawal of cases against agitation activists and some other procedural demands.