Gujjars' talk sounds positive, agreed to participate in next round

The long awaited dialogue between the Gujjar community and the government representatives started on Monday amid much hubbub at Bayana in Bharatpur district and ended with a positive note with the former agreed to call off Tuesday's Bharat Bandh and nodded for the next round of dialogue.

The 37-member Gujjar delegation led by representatives from all districts comprising Kirori Singh Bainsla's doctor V S Choudhary and MLA from Delhi Ramveer Singh Bidhuri had submitted a set of demands apart from the fundamental demand of granting ST status to their community.

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The second foremost demand they put forth before the State Government's representatives included ex-gratia relief of Rs 10-lakh for the immediate families of those killed besides assurance of jobs to one of the members of the deceased.

The charter of demands also included a stop on the further arrests, release of those arrested during the agitation and dropping of all cases against them. Besides they wanted mobile jammers to be removed from Bayana and power and water supply to be restored to the villages at once.

The four-member government representatives comprises state environment minister Laxmi Narayan Dave and Sanwarmal Jat (Water Resources) and two senior bureaucrats Thanvi and Divisional Commissioner of Bahratpur Niranjan Arya participated in the parleys held between 4 pm to 6 pm and agreed to take back with them their charter of demands to discuss with chief minister Vasundhara Raje.

The 17-day long agitation since May 23, when it commenced has so far claimed 43 lives in three different incidents of police firing.

It was the first meeting between the representatives of two sides after the eruption of violent agitations carried out by the Gujjars and later the police firing which claimed many lives.

Earlier the two sides met the deadlock over the place of meeting. Gujjars wanted the meeting to take place at Bayana, the epicentre of agitations, while the government was stiff over Jaipur. Eventually the Rajasthan Government amid all corner pressure agreed on Sunday for the parleys to take place in Bayana on Monday.

Gujjar leaders reciprocated the government's move with positive note as they called off the Bharat Bandh and agreed to take part in the next round of meeting. Meanwhile the Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje was later briefed about the discussions.

Gujjar Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti leader Bainsla after briefed by the community’s delegation told mediapersons that the “talks were held in a very cordial atmosphere. It is a good beginning.”