Bainsala Begins March for Quota to Gujjars as Talks with Rajasthan Govt Fails

Talks between the Rajasthan government and Gujjars over quota to the community in state jobs have collapsed and community leader Kirori Singh Bainsala has begun a march with hundreds of his supporters from Karauli district to Jaipur in support of their demands, said media reports.

Roop Singh, a spokesman of the Rajasthan Gujjar Arkashan Sangarsh Saimti said that Bainsala, who has been spearheading agitation for quota to the community, commenced his march from Hindon, some 300 km from Jaipur, said reports.

“We have launched our march with at least 10,000 supporters from the college ground, our first stoppage would be at Timara village, 10 km from Hindon on the Mahua-Jaipur highway,” he was quoted as saying.

“It would be a peaceful agitation, and no one from our side will indulge in any violence or sit on rail tracks,” he was quoted as saying.

In the meanwhile, Karauli District Collector Neeraj K Pawan and SP Mahendra Singh Choudhary said that enough security arrangements were made to make sure that the march was peaceful, said reports.

Two rounds of talks between a Gujjar delegation and Rajasthan government emissaries – Energy Minister Jitendra Singh and Home Minister Shanti Dhariwal – failed to break the impasse last night and Gujjar leaders staged a walkout.

Gujjar leaders Roop Singh and Harprasad, who participated in the talks with the government, told reporters that the Gehlot government ‘had not done any homework’ despite the Gujjars deferring their agitation by 12 days and did not even take legal advice from experts, said reports.

“We will go back to Hindon to follow the instructions of Kirori Singh Bainsla who already has given an ultimatum to the government to resolve the impasse,” they were quoted as saying.

(Based on internet reports)