Gujjars soften stand, agree to hold talks with Rajasthan government over reservation in jobs

Bharatpur/Jaipur: A breakthrough in the Gujjar agitation is in sight in Rajasthan as Gujjars have formed a 12 member committee to hold talks with the state government. Gujjars are demanding a quota in all government institutions within the 50 per cent cap issued by the Supreme Court.

The state government has formed a panel comprising of three ministers, including Gulab Chand Kataria. Talks are likely to take place in Bayana on Saturday.

Softening his stand on talks with Rajasthan government over the quota issue, Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsal said his team was ready to meet its special envoy on Saturday. Members of Gujjar community earlier in the day rejected the state government's offer for talks on their demand for five per cent quota in jobs.

Bainsla announced his readiness to hold parleys after holding talks with his community members at a meeting in Bharatpur during which he discussed a letter sent by the government inviting their leaders for talks either in Jaipur or Bharatpur.

A district administration official had handed over the letter to Bainsla earlier in the day in which the government offered to hold talks but the offer was initially not accepted by Gujjars, who were demanding that its emissaries come to the rail tracks at Pilupura for the parleys.

"We are ready for talks, if not on tracks, then in Bayana town. Bainsla took the decision after discussing our community people and a delegation would go to Bayana tomorrow," Himmat Singh, the spokesperson of Gujjar Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti, said.

Singh said that the district administration will be informed about the composition of the delegation. Bainsla has deputed three persons including himself to lead the delegation of 23 members, he added.

Rail services continue to be hit as agitating Gujjars have blocked the Delhi - Mumbai rail track at Pilukapura. Several trains have been diverted while road traffic on Bharatpur-Hindaun road has also been affected. The agitators squatting on the railway tracks have reportedly damaged the tracks by removing some fish plates.