India's centuries-old controversy over caste and discrimination brought parts of Delhi to a halt yesterday as thousands of members of an ethnic group demanded that their official status be lowered in order to provide them with better access to jobs and education. Members of the Gujjar tribe blocked major roads and highways into Delhi in sit-down protests and set fire to tyres as they vowed to create gridlock across India's capital and the surrounding area.
Some train services were suspended and many IT and outsourcing companies with offices in Delhi's satellite cities sent staff home early. In some locations, police fired tear gas at the stone-throwing demonstrators. "This will go on until our demands are met," Surjit Singh, a Gujjar protester who was standing in front of hundreds of cars, told reporters. According to Indian law, the Gujjars – many of whom live in the nearby desert state of Rajasthan – are classified as belonging to the country's second-lowest group, known as Other Backward Classes (OBC). In the complex, divisive system this category is one step up from the lowest level known as Scheduled Tribes and Castes (STC) otherwise known as Dalits, or "Untouchables". The Gujjars say they have been discriminated against in terms of jobs, health care and education – particularly in Rajasthan – but say that by being reclassified as STC they will be eligible for government positions and university places that are reserved for that group. The Indian government reserves about half of all seats in state colleges and universities for lower castes and tribal groups – a massive affirmative-action plan it says is designed to counter centuries of discrimination. Many have criticised the quota system, however, saying that it accentuates caste differences at a time when India is seeking to modernise and develop economically and socially. A government panel that was set up to look into the Gujjars' claims, recommended that a £40m aid package be set aside for their community but ruled out reclassifying the tribe. That plan has not satisfied the Gujjars. Yesterday's unrest was the latest in several weeks of confrontations between the tribe and the police; 40 people have died in violence across the north and west of India in recent weeks. In a number of villages and towns in Rajasthan, police used live ammunition to suppress demonstrations, killing dozens of people. In one case, a policeman was lynched by protesters. This time last year, 26 people were killed in similar demonstrations. In Rajasthan yesterday, protesters blocked roads with the bodies of those demonstrators who were shot dead by police. They said the bodies would not be cremated until the government agreed to their demands. "The Rajasthan government must realise the mood of the people and not delay the implementation of quotas for Gujjars," said Avatar Singh Bhadana, a Gujjar leader and MP. During the 1857 uprising against British colonial rule, Hindu and Muslim Gujjars fought tenaciously against the imperial troops and in support of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the ruler who proved to be the last of the Moghul emperors. In the aftermath of the uprising, brutally suppressed by the British, the Gujjars and about 150 other ethnic groups were then listed as "criminal tribes". This listing was officially lifted in 1952 under India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Two years earlier, India's constitution had outlawed discrimination based on caste though the banned practice remains widespread. In advance of yesterday's "martyrs' day" demonstration by the Gujjars, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje, called on the tribe to cancel their protests. Newspaper advertisements and a government leaflet urged the Gujjars to "use their wisdom" and reconsider the offers she has made to the tribe. The leader of the Gujjar demonstration, Kirori Singh Bhainsla, is one of 13 members of the tribe who has been charged with murder and rioting, relating to the death of the police officer earlier this month. *India's complex caste system* The origins of India's caste system are still debated but most believe it is linked to Hinduism and its different "Varnas". Those are listed as: Brahmins (priests and teachers), Kshatriyas (noblemen and warriors), Vaishyas (shopkeepers and traders), and Shudras (farmers and labourers). In addition to those, there are thousands of sub-castes. Ancient Hindu texts list those outside of the system as "Untouchables", commonly called Dalits. A law passed by the British government in 1935 was the first to give reservations to the "Depressed Classes". Traditionally, Dalits were forbidden to drink from the same well as other castes and were even ordered not to allow their shadow to fall on another person. In recent years, Dalits have made some advances and, in certain states, notably Uttar Pradesh, they represent a serious political force. Discrimination against Dalits remains considerable, even if the barriers are breaking down between the other castes. Many believe the system is standing in the way of India's progress and say the country's full potential will not be met while the caste system remains. Writing yesterday in The Indian Express, Pratap Bhanu Mehta, the head of the Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research, said: "Our politics is driving us into an explosive cul de sac. The recent, terrible violence is a reminder of what happens to societies when they can neither endure their current social condition, nor have the means to overcome it." independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/tribe-riots-in-delhi-for-right-to-be-untouchable-836769.html Caste, a crooked eye<http://www.hindustantimes.com/Redir.aspx?ID=583712bd-08ad-4e5e-809b-230a2dc6db26&ParentID=e1c87985-470a-4a94-bca7-1ce3804f6408> Hindustan Times, India - May 27, 2008 India's centuries-old controversy over caste and discrimination brought parts of Delhi to a halt yesterday as thousands of members of an ethnic group demanded that their official status be lowered in order to provide them with better access to jobs and education. Members of the Gujjar tribe blocked major roads and highways into Delhi in sit-down protests and set fire to tyres as they vowed to create gridlock across India's capital and the surrounding area. Some train services were suspended and many IT and outsourcing companies with offices in Delhi's satellite cities sent staff home early. In some locations, police fired tear gas at the stone-throwing demonstrators. "This will go on until our demands are met," Surjit Singh, a Gujjar protester who was standing in front of hundreds of cars, told reporters. According to Indian law, the Gujjars – many of whom live in the nearby desert state of Rajasthan – are classified as belonging to the country's second-lowest group, known as Other Backward Classes (OBC). In the complex, divisive system this category is one step up from the lowest level known as Scheduled Tribes and Castes (STC) otherwise known as Dalits, or "Untouchables". The Gujjars say they have been discriminated against in terms of jobs, health care and education – particularly in Rajasthan – but say that by being reclassified as STC they will be eligible for government positions and university places that are reserved for that group. The Indian government reserves about half of all seats in state colleges and universities for lower castes and tribal groups – a massive affirmative-action plan it says is designed to counter centuries of discrimination. Many have criticised the quota system, however, saying that it accentuates caste differences at a time when India is seeking to modernise and develop economically and socially. A government panel that was set up to look into the Gujjars' claims, recommended that a £40m aid package be set aside for their community but ruled out reclassifying the tribe. That plan has not satisfied the Gujjars. Yesterday's unrest was the latest in several weeks of confrontations between the tribe and the police; 40 people have died in violence across the north and west of India in recent weeks. In a number of villages and towns in Rajasthan, police used live ammunition to suppress demonstrations, killing dozens of people. In one case, a policeman was lynched by protesters. This time last year, 26 people were killed in similar demonstrations. In Rajasthan yesterday, protesters blocked roads with the bodies of those demonstrators who were shot dead by police. They said the bodies would not be cremated until the government agreed to their demands. "The Rajasthan government must realise the mood of the people and not delay the implementation of quotas for Gujjars," said Avatar Singh Bhadana, a Gujjar leader and MP. During the 1857 uprising against British colonial rule, Hindu and Muslim Gujjars fought tenaciously against the imperial troops and in support of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the ruler who proved to be the last of the Moghul emperors. In the aftermath of the uprising, brutally suppressed by the British, the Gujjars and about 150 other ethnic groups were then listed as "criminal tribes". This listing was officially lifted in 1952 under India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Two years earlier, India's constitution had outlawed discrimination based on caste though the banned practice remains widespread. In advance of yesterday's "martyrs' day" demonstration by the Gujjars, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje, called on the tribe to cancel their protests. Newspaper advertisements and a government leaflet urged the Gujjars to "use their wisdom" and reconsider the offers she has made to the tribe. The leader of the Gujjar demonstration, Kirori Singh Bhainsla, is one of 13 members of the tribe who has been charged with murder and rioting, relating to the death of the police officer earlier this month. *India**'s complex caste system* The origins of India's caste system are still debated but most believe it is linked to Hinduism and its different "Varnas". Those are listed as: Brahmins (priests and teachers), Kshatriyas (noblemen and warriors), Vaishyas (shopkeepers and traders), and Shudras (farmers and labourers). In addition to those, there are thousands of sub-castes. Ancient Hindu texts list those outside of the system as "Untouchables", commonly called Dalits. A law passed by the British government in 1935 was the first to give reservations to the "Depressed Classes". Traditionally, Dalits were forbidden to drink from the same well as other castes and were even ordered not to allow their shadow to fall on another person. In recent years, Dalits have made some advances and, in certain states, notably Uttar Pradesh, they represent a serious political force. Discrimination against Dalits remains considerable, even if the barriers are breaking down between the other castes. Many believe the system is standing in the way of India's progress and say the country's full potential will not be met while the caste system remains. Writing yesterday in The Indian Express, Pratap Bhanu Mehta, the head of the Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research, said: "Our politics is driving us into an explosive cul de sac. The recent, terrible violence is a reminder of what happens to societies when they can neither endure their current social condition, nor have the means to overcome it." <http://www.jharkhand.org.in/forum> <http://www.jharkhand.org.in/blog> --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Explore http://Jharkhand.org.in 4 Live Chat, i-Messaging, Music Video, News and much more..... 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