Gurjars hold Delhi to ransom, violence spreads

NEW DELHI: Hundreds of protesters from an ethnic group demanding special government privileges blocked highways leading to New Delhi on Monday, some clashing with police who retaliated by firing teargas.

This is the seventh day of protests by ethnic Gujjars, who are demanding they be declared a Scheduled Tribe (ST) which will entitle them to government jobs and college seats. Twenty-three people have been killed in the western state of Rajasthan. Police said protesters were attempting to block traffic on at least four major highways into New Delhi, adding that in some areas demonstrators had thrown stones at police who responded by firing teargas shells into the crowds.

"The protesters have been pelting us heavily with stones so we have had to fire teargas at them to control the situation," said Anil Shukla, a senior Delhi police official.

"In south Delhi, we have arrested around 40 people alone." Thousands of police and paramilitary forces have been deployed and barricades have been set up in sensitive areas and major roads leading to the capital.

Local television stations showed two buses and some trucks on fire and burning tyres strewn across roads in several areas.

In other areas, demonstrators waved sticks, held hands and blocked roads, causing massive traffic jams. Some also burnt effigies of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, who they accuse of ignoring their demands.

The protests by the Gujjars, a community of shepherds and farmers, began last week in Rajasthan and were fuelled after police shot dead 14 Gujjars during a clash on Tuesday. Gujjar anger has since spread to other parts of the country where they have sizeable populations, including New Delhi.

"We Gujjars are a very brave people and are tough fighters," said Rajinder Nagaar, a demonstrator in eastern Delhi. "We will not settle for anything less than Scheduled Tribe status," he said as he marched down a major road where traffic was thin. Protesters also disrupted rail traffic near New Delhi in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh state. An official said two passenger trains were stopped after protesters blocked the tracks.

The Gujjar's demands are strongly opposed by the Meenas, a powerful community in Rajasthan who have cornered a large slice of the existing tribal quota for government jobs and college places in the state.

The protests have led to violent clashes between the two groups, leading to several deaths. Ahead of a sixth round of talks with Raje in Rajasthan, Gujjar leaders said they would not back down.

"We will continue our agitation until our demands are met and in case of failure of the talks, we will not hold any further discussion with the state government," Roop Singh, a senior Gujjar leader.