GOVERNMENT AND GUJJARS REACH DEAL: RAJASTHAN LIMPS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 002636 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/INS, DRL E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2017 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL PINR IN SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT AND GUJJARS REACH DEAL: RAJASTHAN LIMPS TO NORMALCY REF: A. NEW DELHI 2564 ¶B. NEW DELHI 2583 ¶C. NEW DELHI 2624 Classified By: PolCouns Ted Osius for reasons 1.4 (B,D) ¶1. (C) Summary: On June 4, Rajasthan Chief Minister (CM) Vasundhara Raje and Gujjar leader Col. Kirori Singh Bhaisala reached an agreement that ended the Gujjar agitation. Under the terms of the compact, the Rajasthan state government will establish a three-person committee to investigate the Gujjar demand to change status from the Other Backward Caste (OBC) to a Scheduled Tribe (ST) category. Such a determination would enable the community to access reservations designated for STs in education and jobs. In turn, Bhaisala called off the Gujjar agitation that began on May 29. Both Meena and Gujjar leaderships are declaring victory and a sense of normalcy is slowly returning to the state. Despite a 1981 ruling by the Rajasthan government denying Gujjars ST status, the community has kept pushing for reconsideration. CM Raje is under fire for failing to preempt the unrest. While the current agreement has bought time, it could encourage other caste groups to mount similar agitations, and further Gujjar/Meena clashes could follow. The center government might do well to quell the tide and make decisions about all caste groups before the waves start coming in. End Summary. Ending the Agitation -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On June 4, Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje met Gujjar leader Col. Kirori Singh Bhaisala in Jaipur to seek a compromise that could end the violent agitations that began on May 29. After six hours of intense negotiation, the two leaders emerged and announced that they had arrived at a formula. Under the terms of the agreement, the Rajasthan government promised to establish a high level three-person committee, chaired by a retired High Court judge and including an expert on tribal issues and reservations to examine the Gujjar demand for a change in status. The committee will issue a report to the state government in three months. This sets an unusual precedent, as all previous such determinations were made by a consensus among District Collectors. Raje was only able to gain Bhaisala's acquiescence after agreeing to convene a high level committee to re-examine the issue. After Bhaisala called off the 
agitation, roads slowly re-opened and the railways ran extra trains to bring home passengers stranded throughout the week-long agitation. Meena and Gujjar Reactions -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Both the Meena and Gujjar leaderships are declaring victory. Meena leaders had threatened to stage new demonstrations if the Rajasthan government ruled in the Gujjar's favor. As the Gujjars have retained their OBC status, the Meenas are satisfied and agreed to return to their homes. The Gujjar leadership also declared the outcome to be a victory by claiming that they had wanted such a committee to examine their status all along. The media reported that many within the Gujjar community, though complying with the agreement, felt betrayed. Protestors told reporters they felt "cheated" and did not understand the reason they were asked to halt their protest. To them, a mere report, that demonstrators recognize could conclude Gujjars are not entitled to ST status, was not worth this week's loss of life or damage to homes and the economy. The Struggle to Become ST -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Since 1977, no additions have been made to the Rajasthan ST/Scheduled Caste (SC) list. In 1981, a Congress government rejected the Gujjars' application to be put on the NEW DELHI 00002636 002 OF 002 ST list, noting "these people are basically milk-sellers and keep cattle. They are fairly well-off and suffer from no shyness of contact with people of other castes. Also, they do not have any primitive traits to be considered for inclusion in the ST list." More than five years ago, under the previous Congress government, Gujjars questioned the "judgement" of the District Collectors who made the 1981 determination. (Note: under rules stipulated by the central government, District Collectors are tasked with compililng reports on behalf of the state government whenever a caste is being considered for inclusion in the ST/SC list. End Note.). In this instance, CM Raje is being criticized for agreeing to reconsider the request, and for creating a special committee to conduct the enquiry, as no other caste has received such special treatment. ¶5. (C) Gujjars have long felt cut out of the ever competitive struggle to move down the social ladder and gain access to benefits. This unhappiness became especially acute when they were compelled to share OBC status with the politically powerful and wealthy Jat community in Rajasthan. The GOI granted OBC status to the Jats, typically landowners and one of the ruling communities in the state in 2000, and the government of Rajasthan folowed suit in 2002. CM Raje hoped to use a similar tactic with the Gujjars in hopes of bringing them into the BJP fold, but her strategy backfired when she was unable to deliver, and her promises sparked a harsh reaction from the Meenas. The Future of CM Vasundhara Raje -------------- ¶6. (C) Political pundits and her own Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) colleagues are doling out harsh criticism of CM Raje and her handling of the Gujjar situation. In public, the BJP leadership has claimed that it is "satisfied by the "harmonious" end to the crisis. In private, the BJP satraps have condemned Raje for spending too much time out of the state and not possessing sufficient foresight to recognize a serious crisis in the works. Raje could have set up a committee to bury the issue long ago. A long line of people are queuing up to replace her if the BJP can retain control of the state in state assembly elections scheduled for November 2008. The list includes Jaswant Singh, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, State Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria, Education Minister Ghanshyam Tewari, and former BJP state president Lalit Kishore Chaturvedi. Comment: Buying Time -------------- ¶7. (C) It will be difficult for the committee to come up with a determination regarding the Gujjars status. In India, such committees have often worked assiduously to put off a decision for as long as possible, and we expect the same thing to happen in this instance. Given the demonstrated fury of the Gujjar community and the diammetrically opposed demands of the Gujjars and Meenas, any decision would likely result in widespread violence and demonstrations throughout Northern India. The committee will probably prefer to let a sleeping dog lie. ¶8. (C) Even if Rajasthan never overturns the current decision on the status of Gujjars, it has potentially opened a pandora's box. Having seen the ability of the Gujjars to use violence to get results, other caste groups could mount similar campaigns in the years ahead. To head off this prospect, the central government may consider convening a commission to investigate the impact of affirmative action and determine which groups still need assistance in climbing the social ladder. Otherwise, the appeal of the cushion at the bottom will continue to compel caste groups to the slide down the ladder regardless of economic need. End Comment. MULFORD