Finally the Rajasthan government has heaved a sigh of relief with the Gujjars agreeing to the formula for reserving their category people. The strike started 25 days back. After three rounds of talks between the Gujjar and the State government, the community members agreed to break their agitation. The first round of talks were not very promising. In Rajasthan the Gujjar community ended their strike on Sunday. Addressing a joint press conference with Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla here, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje announced five per cent quota for Gujjars as also Rebaris and Banjaras. Apparently keeping in mind the sensitivities of the influential Meena community, which enjoys the ST status in the state, she sought to allay apprehensions about the impact of the quota for Gujjars on the present reservation system. "This quota would not have any adverse effect on the present reservation system in the state", she said adding "there is a necessity to give special support to some sections".
Expressing gratitude to Raje and giving her all credit for ending the stalemate, Bainsla said that in view of today's announcement the Gujjar agitation would be called off. The speed with which the commission report was accepted by the government underlines BJP's anxiety to ward off possible backlash by upper castes, perceived to be the party traditional vote bank, to reservation for Gujjars. At the same time, the chief minister assured other castes that EBC's recommendations would not affect the existing quota categories of SC/ST/OBC. The state EBC chairman justice Shashi Kant Sharma and his two colleagues Ashutosh Gupta and Mahesh Tanwar submitted the report to the government today, Raje said. However, the violence resorted to by any community to meet its demands is not justified. The Gujjar stir had affected rail traffic adversely. The Gujjar community on its part assured the state government that it would not raise any other demand and it would not support any other Gujjar faction's movement and agitation in future.
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