Condemn state terrorism and the anti people politics of the state and central governments

People's Voice condemns the state repression unleashed on people of the Gujjar community by the Rajasthan government. More than 40 people have lost their lives since May 23, 2008. Instead of addressing the political issues raised by the agitating people, the government of Rajasthan, has quickly converted the political problem into a "law and order problem".

People's Voice also condemns the deliberate game of 'passing the parcel' of the Gujjar community's demands that the central and state governments are indulging in. Neither wants to take the responsibility of any decision on the community's demand. At the same time, neither the Congress led UPA government at the centre, nor the BJP led state government want to accept their individual and collective failure in delivering on people's aspirations for a secure life and livelihood.

Instead, the two governments are trying to use the Gujjar demand to divide people who the State itself, and ruling class parties, push to compete for the same slice of the reservation cake.

State terrorism and inciting of sectarian strife

Last year the same state government had ordered police firing on agitators from the community demanding Scheduled Tribe status, which resulted in the death of more than 25 people. In this, as well as in numerous agitations of peasants, the trigger-happy government has repeatedly shown that state terrorism is its preferred policy to deal with people's striving.

Last year, the BJP led state government incited some leaders of the Meena community that enjoys ST status, to lead a counter agitation against the Gujjars. From behind the scenes, the government organised sectarian strife at Sikandra in Rajasthan in which four people – across the two communities – were killed, deepening the fissures between Gujjars and Meenas in the state.

Now, as the Gujjar community presses for its demand by blocking the rail line at Bayana connecting Delhi and Mumbai, the state government has stopped electricity and water to the villages in the protest region.

Wells in the arid region are dry in summer, and tubewells are the only source of water. But without electricity, these tubewells cannot be used.

As old mothers and grandmothers sob for a glass of water and cattle die, government officials proudly explain to media persons how their strategy will force protestors to drop their agitation.

Passing the parcel

In 1999, the Congress state government of Ashok Gehlot had sent a note to the Union government of the BJP, proposing SC, ST and OBC status for a list of communities. The Gujjars (who are categorised as OBC at present) were included in the proposed list for ST status.

While OBCs receive 27 percent quotas in jobs and now in central higher education institutions (as opposed to just 7.5 percent for STs), the 'competition' is perceived as fiercer in the former category. So, communities seeking reservations are encouraged to try and obtain ST status.  

The Centre, in December that year, replied asking the state government to send detailed ethnographic/ demographic data of the communities it had sought to bring under the reservation umbrella.

But neither the Gehlot government, nor the subsequent administration of the BJP – that came to power in 2003 – replied to the Centre's request for detailed data till late 2007.

After last year's agitation by the Gujjars, the state BJP government set up a one man Commission to study the demand made by the community for ST status. The commission – comprising a retired Rajasthan High Court judge – said the Gujjars did not qualify for ST status.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia's government then wrote to the central government – now led by the Congress – merely asking it to consider the commission's report, but referring to the 1999 note recommending ST status for Gujjars. It does not specifically ask for ST status for Gujjars.

The Centre promptly replied asking the state government whether it was willing to commit itself to the demand for ST status, and to justify the Gujjar request.

A recommendation made by the one man Commission – for 4 to 6 percent quotas for Gujjars in jobs and education as a specially de-notified tribe – was forwarded by Scindia to the Centre.

The Centre has replied saying that while it cannot amend the Constitution to declare Gujjars a de-notified tribe – as requested by Scindia – the state government could announce 4-6 percent quotas for Gujjars on its own.

The Gujjars, through their leader Col. (retd) Kirori Singh Bainsla have however rejected the proposal for quotas to the community as a de-notified tribe.  

Bourgeois politics at work

For decades, the Congress and the BJP – and other bourgeois parties to a lesser extent – have built 'vote banks', using a powerful 'leader' of a community to win a majority of their votes. Caste and religious divisions are frequently spawned to cement community based voting patterns.

Now, with elections to the Rajasthan Assembly scheduled for later this year, both Congress and BJP could be expected to intensify their caste games to get the different communities in Rajasthan lined up behind themselves on the basis of this or that promise to this or that community. They make such cynical calculations that Meenas constitute 12% of electorate, Gujjars constitute 10% of the electorate and so on with each community and fine tune their electoral strategy. They have no regard for any of the communities or castes. They have neither the desire nor the ability to provide education, or jobs or secure livelihood to all, irrespective of caste or creed.

The way out

The current crisis exposes the hypocrisy of the Indian State and the ruling class parties and their inability to address, through genuinely democratic means, the demands of people. It again reveals that the current State is unable to ensure education, jobs, life and livelihood for its people.

But it also reveals how the State uses such crisis to deepen divisions between people, in an attempt to diffuse anger against itself, and stall the emergence of a revolutionary movement.

Many struggles have been waged in Rajasthan in recent years by different sections of the people. All of them centre around the demand for security of livelihood in different forms. People must not allow the political parties like BJP and Congress to divide them and liquidate their struggle.

The situation demands that the working and oppressed people, independent of which caste they belong to or creed they believe in, unite under one banner against the anti people Congress and BJP and fight for an alternative.