JAIPUR: The massive Mahapanchayat held by the Gurjar community in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district on Sunday was called off after the Rajasthan government agreed to send a draft proposal to the Centre, addressing their long-pending demand for reservation benefits.
Although the community was initially unwilling to engage in dialogue, the day-long Mahapanchayat ultimately resulted in a compromise. However, some Gurjar youth have opposed the decision and have blocked the Mumbai-Delhi railway track and stopped the Kota-Mathura passenger train in the evening.
Earlier, in the Maha Panchayat held on the side of Hindaun-Bayana State Highway, various demands, including reservation for Gurjars, were discussed under the leadership of Vijay Bainsla, President of Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti.
Vijay Bainsla is the son of the veteran Gurjar leader Col K S Bainsla who led community agitations till his death four years ago. He previously led two major mobilisations of the community, pressing for the full implementation of reservation promises made to the Gurjars in earlier agreements.
The Gurjar community had given an ultimatum to the government till 1 pm on Sunday and large crowds of Gurjars gathered in Pilupura-Karwadi aea of Bayana. Addressing the people, Vijay Bainsla said that “we have got incomplete rights and we have to get them completely. For this reason,this Maha Panchayat of Gurjar community has been called in Pilupura.”
He further added “now we will not go to the government for talks. The government should send a letter with a competent level IAS officer. If the letter is sent, it will be read out to the society during the Mahapanchayat. After this, whatever the society says on the spot will be decided.”
The Gurjars say that the government is still not implementing the Devnarayan scheme.The Mahapanchayat is being held to demand inclusion of MBC reservation in the Ninth Schedule, withdrawal of cases filed during earlier Gurjar agitations, implementation of the agreement between the Gurjar Reservation Committee and the settlement of many matters related to backlog and jobs.
On the other hand, Jawahar Bedham, Minister of State for Home in the Bhajanlal government, said “When the government is ready to put things on the table, then why a Mahapanchayat?”
On the other hand, Minister Jawahar Singh Bedham said, “Some people are adamant that we will stay and speak against the government."
Through the day the district administration remained on high alert about the Mahapanchayat in Pilupura. Many RAC companies were set up.With the Gurjars protesting, for people who want to go from Karauli to Bharatpur, the traffic was diverted via Hindaun-Kalsada-Bhusawar instead of going through the Bayana-Hindaun State Highway.
Later in the evening, after the Bhajanlal government's assurance was read out , the Maha Panchayat was lifted and the agitation called off.
However, some Gujjar youth did not agree with this decision and blocked railway tracks in Pilupura, disrupting train traffic in a bid to demand job reservations and other rights. The protestors have also caused damage to railway property. The district administration and police had a talk with the Gurjar group and cleared the tracks at 6 PM and two trains which were stopped headed towards their destination.