Dec 19: The three member committee headed by Justice Jasraj Chopra instead of approving Gujjar demand for incorporation into ST quota, recommended a special package for redressal of their problems and also made suggestions to bring Gujjar into the national mainstream through measures to alleviate their poverty and backwardness.
The three member committee submitted its report to the Vasundhra Raje government on Monday in which it clearly denied Gujjar’s demand to treat them as schedule tribe.
In its justification for the denial of Gujjar’s demand, Chopra Committee said that Gujjar did not fulfill the criteria required for granting of ST status. The statistical data of the community’s socio-economic conditions do not match with the criteria required for granting ST status to them. In view of these data and circumstances it is not possible for the committee to recommend ST status for them.
The Chopra committee asked for “benevolently allocating sizeable funds for a reasonable period “for the community, which inhabits the underdeveloped and inaccessible areas.” It suggested an area-specific approach to the problem means all the poor people living in that area would be benefited by the government’s scheme, whether belong to the Gujjar Community or not.
The report said the committee was of the opinion that any judgment on the candidature of a particular group (read Gujjars) for ST status in the present circumstances is very difficult. The ground should be such that the group could stand judicial scrutiny and help commissions or committee appointed by the state government to identify it.
Sources said the Rajasthan Cabinet also discussed the suggestions made by the committee. The committee made many suggestions for the welfare and uplift of Gujjar Community. One of these was of people living in remote places, ravines, forest and hills be given special packages and a scheme be launched for the development of these areas.
“The government of Rajasthan is advised to take the matter to the Central government to abrogate the criteria used so far to include any class of ST, as these have become obsolete and outdated,” Jasraj Chopra said in its report. “It would be desirable to provide all this new plans and incentives in a special package rather than insert them in already existing schemes.”
Chopra committee agrees that Gujjars are backward and in desperate needs of social development funds, but despite that the committee can’t recommend ST status for them because they do not come into the ST criteria laid down long back in 1960s.
The cabinet headed by Chief Minister Vasundhra Raje discussed two and a half hour on the report submitted by Chopra committee and the meeting culminated into the unanimous decision of forming another panel headed by BJP leader Ramdas Agarwal to look into the recommendations of the panel for the uplift of Gujjar by providing them with special packages.
The new panel’s report expects to be completed by March.
Different Gujjars outfits have threatened to resume their agitation after the Chopra Committee denied for recommending ST status for them.
Now the ball is in centre’s hand. As Rajendra Singh, Minister of Rajasthan said, “We have decided to send the Chopra committee report as it is, to the centre.”
''We had an agreement, and according to that, justice has not been done. The agitation will continue. What you saw was just the trailer, the real action will come now,'' said Colonel Bainsla, Gujjar leader.
Young Congress leader and MP from Rajasthan, Sachin Pilot also criticise BJP’s government in Rajasthan for its stand against Gujjars.
''What we suspected has happened. The Rajasthan government has gone back on its word and its promise to grant ST status. After not doing anything for four years, the Chopra committee was formed. And I think it must have had to face a great deal of pressure,'' said Sachin Pilot, MP, Congress.
He further said that ''The leaders, who up till now have said that they had faith in the Rajasthan government, will now have to face the public and explain the betrayal of the people over the last 7-8 months.''
The Rajasthan government is caught under tremendous pressure from both sides Gujjar and Meena. Gujjar have now made it clear that they would not accept anything less than ST status. Gujjars have called for mass gathering in January 2008 as a show of protest. Strong Meena communities have been opposing their inclusion into ST quota. These developments show that Gujjar’s fresh agitation and the clash between Gujjar and Meena communities are not very far.
The Rajasthan government has deployed 56 battalion of police force in the sensitive districts and has demanded another 56 battalion of paramilitary forces from the Central Government in the wake of any possible agitation and Gujjar-Meena community clashes.
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