Centre washes hands of Gurjar issue
The Centre on Friday ruled out any intervention in Rajasthan, stating that it was for the Vasundhara Raje government to contain the pro-quota clashes and take a call thereafter on the Gurjars’ demand for ST status.
By Bharti Jain, TNN |
NEW DELHI: The Centre on Friday ruled out any intervention in Rajasthan, stating that it was for the Vasundhara Raje government to contain the pro-quota clashes and take a call thereafter on the Gurjars’ demand for ST status.
New Delhi’s role, according to a senior home ministry official, was limited to providing Central reinforcements and advising the state to defuse the situation through dialogue with the community leaders.
Senior MHA officials, who admitted that the Vasundhara Raje government had been caught in an “extremely difficult” situation, felt that the immediate course of action should be to contain the violence, after which the issue can be addressed at a political level.
“Perhaps the state government can initiate some lateral measures in the short term to silence the protesting Gurjar community... maybe they can ask for survey reports from Gurjar-dominated districts... in any case, a decision on quota involves a lengthy process under the Constitution,” a senior home ministry official pointed out.
This clearly indicated the thinking at the Centre that it should not fish in Rajasthan’s troubled waters. Any attempt to intervene in the issue could complicate matters as it will have to take sides and earn the disaffection of one of the social groupings.
For now, the Centre seems satisfied with the steps taken by the Rajasthan government. Barring the Gurjar-Meena clashes in Lalsot, the bandh passed off without any major incidents in other parts of the state, noted an official. In any case, the MHA has assumed an almost pro-active role in sending reinforcements to help the state police control the situation.
More paramilitary personnel have been placed at vantage points close to Rajasthan’s border with other states, so that they can be rushed without any loss of time in the wake of an emergency requisition by the state government.
Union home secretary Madhukar Gupta, who is in constant touch with the chief secretary over the phone, is said to have advised the state police to ensure that mobs of Gurjars and Meenas do not confront each other. Besides, the state government has been told to instruct the district magistrates of affected areas to initiate talks with the local level leaders so that the latter can convince their communities to give up violence and address their demand for inclusion in the ST list through peaceful parleys.
New Delhi’s role, according to a senior home ministry official, was limited to providing Central reinforcements and advising the state to defuse the situation through dialogue with the community leaders.
Senior MHA officials, who admitted that the Vasundhara Raje government had been caught in an “extremely difficult” situation, felt that the immediate course of action should be to contain the violence, after which the issue can be addressed at a political level.
“Perhaps the state government can initiate some lateral measures in the short term to silence the protesting Gurjar community... maybe they can ask for survey reports from Gurjar-dominated districts... in any case, a decision on quota involves a lengthy process under the Constitution,” a senior home ministry official pointed out.
This clearly indicated the thinking at the Centre that it should not fish in Rajasthan’s troubled waters. Any attempt to intervene in the issue could complicate matters as it will have to take sides and earn the disaffection of one of the social groupings.
For now, the Centre seems satisfied with the steps taken by the Rajasthan government. Barring the Gurjar-Meena clashes in Lalsot, the bandh passed off without any major incidents in other parts of the state, noted an official. In any case, the MHA has assumed an almost pro-active role in sending reinforcements to help the state police control the situation.
ADVERTISEMENT
The home ministry further augmented the number of Central forces in the state by rushing in more companies soon after a Gurjar-Meena clash in Lalsot killed five people. According to a senior MHA official, the additional reinforcements were sent this morning on its own by the ministry to prevent any escalation in violence. More paramilitary personnel have been placed at vantage points close to Rajasthan’s border with other states, so that they can be rushed without any loss of time in the wake of an emergency requisition by the state government.
Union home secretary Madhukar Gupta, who is in constant touch with the chief secretary over the phone, is said to have advised the state police to ensure that mobs of Gurjars and Meenas do not confront each other. Besides, the state government has been told to instruct the district magistrates of affected areas to initiate talks with the local level leaders so that the latter can convince their communities to give up violence and address their demand for inclusion in the ST list through peaceful parleys.
Download
The Economic Times Business News App for the Latest News in Business, Sensex, Stock Market Updates & More.
The Economic Times Business News App for the Latest News in Business, Sensex, Stock Market Updates & More.
Download
The Economic Times News App for Quarterly Results, Latest News in ITR, Business, Share Market, Live Sensex News & More.
The Economic Times News App for Quarterly Results, Latest News in ITR, Business, Share Market, Live Sensex News & More.
ADVERTISEMENT
