Quota stir intensifies as Jaipur-Agra highway remains blocked for 6th day

Introduction

• Brief overview of the ongoing protests on Jaipur-Agra National Highway in Bharatpur district, Rajasthan
• The demands of the protesters and the response of the Congress government in the state

Details of the Protests

• Duration of the protests: 6 consecutive days
• Reason for the protests: demand for 12% separate reservation for a group of Other Backward Class (OBC) communities
• Communities involved in the protests: Saini, Kushwaha, Mali, Maurya, and Shakya
• Method of protest: blocking a one kilometre stretch of the National Highway-21 near Arauda village with stones
• Reason for demanding a separate quota: current reservation available to them is inadequate as most families are from Below Poverty Line (BPL) category and their children are unable to secure gainful employment
• Population of the OBC communities demanding reservation: estimated to be 1.50 crore

Serious Turn

• The protest took a serious turn following the death of a 48-year-old man belonging to the Saini community, whose body was found hanging from a tree near the protest site on Tuesday
• Family members refused to accept the body and demanded compensation and a government job

Government Response

• The Congress government in the state has agreed to look into their demands
• A delegation of protesters led by Phule Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti’s convener Murari Lal Saini, met Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot at his official residence
• The delegation was asked to hold discussions with the State OBC Commission’s member-secretary, with whom a meeting has been scheduled for May 1
• Mr. Gehlot has called upon the protesters to end their agitation, while pointing out that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had written a letter to the Prime Minister seeking the inclusion of caste in the next Census
• Other demands of the protesters include the formation of a ‘Luv Kush Welfare Board’ and hostel facilities for children from OBC communities

Precautionary Measures

• Traffic on the highway has been diverted via different routes
• The district administration has suspended mobile Internet services in the region to check the spread of rumours and prevent the situation from deteriorating

Past Incidents

• The protesters had blocked the highway at the same place with similar demands in June 2022

Conclusion

• The ongoing protests on Jaipur-Agra National Highway in Bharatpur district, Rajasthan, highlight the issue of reservation for OBC communities in the state
• The Congress government’s willingness to engage with the protesters and their demands is a positive step towards resolving the issue.