CHANDIGARH: The last few weeks have seen the Jats of Haryana demand for reservation, but if a report by the Haryana government is anything to go by, then the reality has a different tale to tell. Contrary to their claims, a committee formed by the state government has observed that the Jats mostly come from the ‘well to do’ background.
In Haryana, of the total population of 2.53 crore, 63 lakh are Jats. Sources in the government said that 44 per cent of transport business in the state is controlled by the Jats, while they have 18 per cent representation in the All-India Civil Services. The percentage is equal in the state civil services and about 55 per cent of the land holding in the state are with the Jats.
With the state witnessing violent protests, the committee is yet to make the report public fearing more trouble, but it has come out with some interesting observations.
The report also pointed out the fact that of the 10 chief ministers in the state till date, seven have been Jats. Of the 15 MPs (in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha), four are Jats from Rohtak. That’s not all, in the 90-member state Assembly, 22 MLAs from different political parties are Jats and in the ruling BJP, there are six Jat MLAs. The study negates the fact that the community is poorly represented.
Now, the Jats have again threatened to start the agitation from Monday if their demands are not met. All-India Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti president Yashpal Malik said that the authorities must also withdraw all the cases against the people who protested earlier.
Rubbishing the report, Malik claimed that only 25 per cent of the total population is of the Jats, and they live in 6,000 villages across the state.
He also refuted claims of holding lands and top government jobs.
With the state budget session beginning from Monday, the state government, however, will bring a bill in the Assembly for providing reservation to Jats and four other castes.