Police opened fire as arson and violence by tribal protesters continued unabated on the third consecutive day in Dungarpur district of Rajasthan. The protesters torched six vehicles and looted lakhs of Rupees from hotels and shops. They pelted stones on the police force and over a dozen policemen were injured.
National Highway 8 connecting Gujarat and Rajasthan continues to be blocked by them for over five kilometres. Thousands of tribals have collected on top of mountains around the highway and are pelting stones from the high vantage point. Protesters have spread out to Kherwada, Rishabhdev and Bichiwada areas. Section 144 continues to be Udaipur and Dungarpur and internet services have been suspended. Protests have also spread to border areas in Gujarat. All the affected areas are in the southern region of Rajasthan and have a tribal-dominated population.
Peace committees have been formed by the administration to speak to the protesters but there has been no progress in getting them to discontinue the protests. | FPJ
Peace committees have been formed by the administration to speak to the protesters but there has been no progress in getting them to discontinue the protests. A meeting to review the situation was held at Udaipur where tribal affairs minister Arjun Bamania was present. Local Congress and BTP MLAs were also present.
Shopkeepers and hotel owners protested at the police station and demanded that they be provided security after their business establishments were broken into and looted. The STF has been deployed in the area to ensure peace and protection.
The protests are for demanding 1167 unreserved posts to be reserved for the tribals of the area. These posts are apart and above the posts reserved from them. They are demanding that there should be no posts for the local residents of the general category. The matter is in court as both sides have filed cases.
