Gujjars agree to have peace talks with the government

The two-week long agitation by the Gujjars demanding their inclusion in the scheduled tribe category and the stand-off between the Rajasthan Government and the Gujjars over their demand, looks likely to be resolved soon with the Gujjars’ leader Col.Birori Singh Bainsla (Retd) accepting chief minister Vasundhara Raje’s offer of Talks.

Gujjar leaders said Col.Bainsla had asked senior leaders to reach Pilupura on Friday to form a delegation for the talks. They added that their leader Col. Bainsla would not join in the talks himself and remain at Pilupura.

Col.Bainsla has resolved not to move from Pilupura without a tag of ST with the Gujjars and asked other leaders of Gujjar community to come to Pilupura for deliberations.

This came after a letter of invitation for talks was handed  over to Col.Bainsla at the agitation site in the Pilupura Karwadi area by the Principal Secretary (irrigation) of Rajasthan Mr.S.N.Thanvi, who has been asked to deal with the Gujjar agitation.

Despite of getting invitation from the government for peace talks, a section of Gujjars are still staging a Dharna at Sikkandara, refusing to cremate 20 bodies until their demands are met. They disrupted water supply to Dausa town by damaging pipelines, after which the local authorities were trying to make alternative arrangements.

The Centre is trying to throw the ball into Ms.Raje’s court by asking the Rajasthan Government to take its own initiative to grant Gujjars denotified or nomadic tribe status.