The Gurjar community in Rajasthan has threatened to launch an agitation against the state government’s move to provide reservation to Muslim community under the SBC/MBC (special backward community / most backward community) category.
Gurjar leaders have said that the quota was created to provide reservation to Gurjars and other nomadic communities and they are not willing to share it.
The Ashok Gehlot government proposes to provide reservation to ten sub classes namely Mirasi, Manganiyas, Thadhi, Langa, Damami, Meer, Nagarchi, Rana, Bayti and Barota. The information has been sought by the Other Backward Community (OBC) Commission.
The matter came to light when a letter issued by came to the notice of the Gurjar leaders. The letter had asked all tehsildars of the Ajmer region to conduct a survey and compile information about the social, educational and economic status of these Muslim sub communities. Information about the number of people from these communities are in government jobs. This information is to be sent to the OBC Commission.
Gurjar leader Himmat Singh Gurjar has said, “The quota was specially for us and other nomadic communities. Our community has struggled and sacrificed for this. We lost 74 people to police firing and will not share the quota with anyone.
We are ready to take to streets if the government does not take back this proposal.” Himmat Singh also called upon the deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot to intervene and and ensure that their quota is not shared.
Gujar leader Vijay Bainsla said, “The government is welcome to give reservation to anyone it wants to, but no new communities can be added to the MBC quota of 5%.” Bainsla is a member of the BHJ.
Rajasthan has seen violent reservation agitations by the Gurjar community. Seventy four persons had lost lives in police firing during the agitations in the year 2007 and 2008.
