Talks between Gujjars, Rajasthan government fails

The second round of talks between the Gujjars and the Rajasthan government on Monday failed over the contentious issues of four percent reservation and withdrawal of cases against Gujjars. A 60-member delegation held a second round of talks at the state secretariat on Monday morning. According to sources, at the meeting the Gujjars raised the issue of criminal cases pending against the Gurjars. After the three hour long talks, the head of the Gujjar delegation Shreeram Bainsla called the talks a failure. He said no consensus had been reached on banning recruitments by the government pending the court order on 5% reservation for Gurjars. “We had demanded removal of all cases against Gujjars lodged by police since the agitation started in 2007 and four percent reservation to the community over the one percent agreed to by the government but the government is not agreeing,” he said.
Another leader, Himmat Singh, said, “We have informed Colonel Bainsla and the further strategy will be decided by him.” However, state Home Minister Shanti Dhariwal said the meeting with the delegation was positive. “Out of the 13 points placed in the meeting for discussion, consensus has been reached on nine points,” he said. “The talks with the community will continue and the unresolved issues will be put before chief minister,” he said. The two sides had begun talks on Sunday evening but they remained inconclusive. The Gujjar agitation has been on for the past 15 days and the community members have blocked the Delhi-Mumbai rail track in Bharatpur district, 200 km east of Jaipur.