JAIPUR: As the Gurjars fanned out across Rajasthan’s borders disrupting life in the state and areas surrounding the national capital, chief minister Vasundhara Raje sent SMS messages and dropped leaflets over troubled areas appealing for calm and asking the community to approach the central government for relief.

The move came even as Gurjar leader Kirori Singh Bhainsla softened his stand, saying he could consider talking to the Rajasthan government provided it made a “proper proposal”. “We are willing to talk to the state government through our representatives, if it makes a proper proposal,” Bhainsla said without specifying what he meant by that. “But we will not settle for anything less than ST status and will not move from here till we have the recommendation letter,” he said.

Raje said cause her government had already made recommendations to New Delhi that they be given job quotas. “Hamare shantipriya rajya mein ashanti hona dukhad hai. Mera anurodh hai ki aap sanyam ka parichay dein aur shanti banaye rakhne mein sahyog karein (It is sad to see unrest in our peaceful state. Please restrain yourself and help us maintain peace),” said the SMS sent to 10 million mobile owners in Rajasthan.

A high-level meeting chaired by Raje was held at the CM’s residence. Among those who attended were several of her cabinet colleagues, senior leader and former UP minister Kalraj Mishra and state BJP in-charge Gopinath Munde among others. “We want to hold talks with Gurjar leaders by any means,” Munde said after the meeting.

With the protest entering its seventh day, the government used IAF helicopters to drop pamphlets in Bayana and Sikandra where community members have been laying siege, refusing to cremate bodies of some of the 37 who died in clashes with security forces.

In a bid to break the deadlock, the government also announced that it will conduct the post-mortem of 14 victims of the Sikandara police firing whose bodies are lying at the mortuary of the SMS Hospital here since May 24. BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar said after post-mortem, the bodies would be handed over to the victims’ kin for cremation.

Javadekar added if the Gurjar leaders allowed, the government would also conduct post-mortem of the bodies lying at Bayana and Sikandra at the nearest dispensary.

But the Gurjars rejected Raje’s appeal and burnt the pamphlets while shouting anti government slogans.

The Gurjars, an ethnic group who rear livestock and earn a living by selling milk and other dairy products, are demanding the community be included in the ST list so they get better education and job opportunities. They held protests from May 29 to June 4 last year in support of the same demand. At least 26 people were killed then.

Source : DNA