Normalcy returns to Rajasthan after days of unrest

Normalcy returned to Rajasthan on Tuesday after a week-long Gujjar agitation was called off.

Jaipur, June 5 : Normalcy returned to Rajasthan on Tuesday after a week-long Gujjar agitation was called off.

The Gujjar leaders and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje reached an agreement on the demands of the community on Monday.

"The Government has compromised, and we are sure that our demands wille met. And, if they are not, then our agitation will resume," said Nathu Singh Gujjar, a community leader.

The Gujjars' demand for Schedule Tribe status was strongly opposed by the Meena community, who have cornered a large slice of the existing tribal quota.

The Meenas seemed relaxed after the agreement.

"Now, the atmosphere is of total peace. There have been incidents that caused tension between the two communities and everyone regrets it," said Mohan Lal Meena, a Meena community youth leader.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court expressed its anguish over Monday's Delhi shutdown by the Gujjar community.

Taking suo motto notice of the incident, the apex court asked the Directors General of Police of Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi Police Commissioner to file affidavits with an Action Taken Report (ATR) against the protestors.

The Court later described the incident as a 'national shame'.

The protests began in Dausa and spread to other states bordering Rajasthan.

Around twenty-five people were killed over the past week and transport services were disrupted as members of the Gujjar community blocked traffic, set buses on fire and clashed with police and a rival community.

The violence had cut off parts of the State, popular among the foreign tourists.

In Rajasthan, Gujjars, who are mainly shepherds and farmers, constituteround four to seven percent of the State's 57-million population. They are also present in large numbers, in several northern states of the country.

ANI