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| Police bandobast prevents Gujjars from disrupting rail traffic | | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | May 29
Large number of Gujjars of the state demonstrated near railway tracks and Jammu railway station in a futile bid to stop railway traffic on Thursday. The Gujjars had gathered there in a shape of a procession showing solidarity with Gujjar community in Rajasthan who moved out of Rajasthan and stormed national capital region and blocked traffic on the busy Expressway linking Delhi with Jaipur to put pressure on the centre and Rajasthan government.
The strong army of Gujjar protestors in Jammu marched towards railway track raising slogans demanding ST status for Gujjars in Rajasthan. They were chased by heavy contingent of police force.
The agitators made several attempts to squat on the railway tracks but were prevented from doing so by a heavy posse of policemen deployed by the district administration to restore order. After registering their presence the members of the Gujjar community were persuaded to move off the railway tracks citing inconvenience to large number of railway passengers.
"We have registered our protest. But this is not the end of it," said Shah Mohammad, general secretary of the Gujjars’ United Front, which organised the protest.
"By deploying thousands of policemen on Railway Track between Jammu and Delhi, to crush the voice of the Gujjars, will not suppress our struggle to show solidarity, oneness with our fellow Gujjars in Rajasthan who are being killed, jailed and made subject to various atrocities by the state sponsored bloodshed, said Anwar Chowdhary, the state president of J&K Gujjars’ United Front .
He further said, "This was our first attempt and we will intensify our struggle till ST status is not granted to the Gujjars of Rajasthan", adding that the Gujjars of J&K were granted ST status in 1991 and the Himachal Gujjars got the same status in 1961 but our tribesman of Rajasthan are struggling hard for grant of same status on the grounds that they are same tribal group as we are, having equivalent socio economic and cultural scenario, why they are denied the same constitutional rights, he asked.
Interacting with media men Shah Mohammad today said that Gujjars of J&K will not tolerate massacre of their fellow Gujjars in Rajasthan and will leave no stone unturned to support and render the moral and ethical cooperation to them.
"The Chief Minister of Rajasthan is solely responsible for killing of about 37 innocent Gujjars last week and 26 Gujjars in May last year. Our tribal Gujjars residing in 11 states of the country will not forgive and forget this atrocity on her behalf."
He announced that one deputation of prominent Gujjars of Jammu and Kashmir is leaving for New Delhi to meet Prime Minister seeking intervention of the central leadership in granting ST status to the Gujjars of Rajasthan and removing Vasundra Raje Govt imposing presidential rule in that State besides demanding a commission to probe into the state sponsored atrocities on innocent Gujjars".
Lashing out at Rajasthan government for the police firing on agitating Gujjars, the Gujjar leaders asked the State of Rajasthan to end "repression" against the protesters and talk to them for an amicable. |
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