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The O,B,C of Rajasthan's caste, quota politics
Published on Thu, May 29, 2008 at 19:38, Updated on Thu, May 29, 2008 at 20:21 in Nation section
Tags: Gurjars, Reservation , New Delhi
IS SHE LISTENING? Gurjars claim Rajasthan Chief Minister promised them ST status.
New Delhi: The Gurjar demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status in Rajasthan is intricately linked with the state’s politics of caste and reservation.
Gurjars constitute 5 per cent to 6 per cent of Rajasthan's population and have a sizeable presence in eastern districts of Dausa, Sawai Madhopur, Karauli, Bharatpur and Dholpur.
They community wants to be removed from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category and included into the Scheduled Tribe category—a status which will give them more reserved seats in government jobs and educational institutes.
The community stepped up its demand in 1999 after Jats were included in the OBC category. Jats constitute 12 per cent to 15 per cent of Rajasthan's population and dominate the OBC category, outdoing the Gurjars in getting quota benefits.
Meenas, another community, constitute 10 per cent of state's population but are regarded as a ST, which has enabled them to have a sizeable clout in the police and state administration.
Gurjars feel jealous and claim Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje promised them ST status in 2003. The community gave up its violent agitation last year after the Rajasthan government set up a committee to study their demands.
The Chopra committee, however, recommended that it would be difficult to grant Gurjars ST status under current laws. The state government has sent the Chopra committee’s report to the Centre and says it must decide what to do.
The latest Gurjar agitation is in reaction to what they saw as delaying tactics by the state government.
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This just shows that caste system is artificial and does not signify anything of substance. This must be abolished completely.
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