Gujjars embrace arrest under â??Jail Bharo Andolanâ??

Oct 03: To get a long cherished demand of scheduled tribe status for Gujjar community accepted by the state government Gujjar community arranged ‘jail bharo andolan’ on Tuesday and thousands of Gujjars courted arrest across 21 districts of Rajasthan though the number was not as expected.

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State administration made various temples schools and dharamshalas temporary jails for want of jails in the state.

Andolan was totally peaceful on the occasion of the birth anniversary of apostle of non-violence unlike the earlier violent protest by the Gujjars in May in which almost 26 people were died. No unpleasant incident was reported from any part of the state. Andolan was the second phase of the agitation which aimed at pressurising the government to write immediately to centre recommending the scheduled tribe status.

Estimated number of those who courted arrest on Tuesday is 60,000 thousands while the spoke person of the Gujjar Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti claimed the number to be one lakh while on Monday it was expected that almost five lakhs Gujjars would court the arrest.

Throughout the state the situation has been under control with extensive security arrangements by the administration as paramilitary forces were deployed in 14 districts of the state to avoid any violent incidence and any repetition of the incidents occurred earlier in May.

Arrested leaders are congress MP Sachin Pilot, K L Bainsla, Roop Singh, Attar Singh Bhadana and Prahalad Gunjal.

In a unique move Gujjars stopped milk supply to the cities and companies as the community owns the dairy farms. There was enthusiasm in the members of the community as they reached district headquartes singing and dancing and started a day earlier on foot to reach their destination.