Gujjars and Meena-s of Rajasthan are indeed Kshatriya-s and economically
advanced than the SC/ST-s.
The origins of this crises started with Balram Jhakar approaching Meen-s to
vote for him to Lok Sabha, assuring raising their status to Tribals in
reservations for the Central/ Govt. services.
The Meena-s elected him and he got them the reservations and every house in
Meena-s have an IAS or other Central Services, scattered throughout the
Country, andena-s are ubiquitous covering several pages in the Civil lists!!
Smarting at this Gujjars, the rival Community too organised themselves to get
the benefit extended to Meena-s, and hence this agitation, none of them deserve
under actual conditions.
When several Upper Castes in UP were included in Mandal Reports accepted by
VP Singh (manipulated by powers at Delhi), this is only an extended demand in
regions which would spread further making reservation policies a mockery.
Jharkhand Blog <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Jharkhand Blog
Can the Adivasi status take Gujjars forward?
Gujjars traditionally belonged to the Kshatriya caste, and ruled over the
Gurjara-Pratihara Kingdom -- an area comprising almost 60 per cent of South
Asia during the 8th and 9th centuries -- claims this Gujjar community web
site.
Gujjars have a glorious past, a truth no doubt. Although fairly unpopular for
their violent conduct, Gujjars have lived on their productive labour. In
recorded history, Rajasthan's Gujjars are an integral part of the mainstream
caste in the region's society.
Making a momentous departure -- in claiming Kshatriya-hood, Rajasthan's
Gujjars now clamour for Adivasi status. This in itself is indicative of a new
social mood in present day Indian society. Various social classes in the
country aspire to re-negotiate their social locations.
The Gujjars have just fought a fierce battle seeking de-location of their
present social status. As per the deal, the Rajasthan government has set up a
three-member committee to examine the issue, and has recommend the matter to
the Union government. Rajasthan's Gujjars have to pass the following test to
qualify for Adivasi status:
Primitive traits
Geographical isolation
Distinct culture
Shy of contact with community at large
Economically backward
Whether they pass the test or not is a different question altogether. We can
only wish them good luck. Here we are faced with an exceptional social
situation -- a situation of a ruthless fracas between the lived
occupational-culture and yet to be lived newer aspirations.
What if Rajasthan's Gujjars were to earn an Adivasi status. Can that take
them forward? During the just ended week-long unrest, the Rajasthan Gujjar
leadership has been citing the case of the Van Gujjars of the Shivaliks (parts
of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir) who enjoy Adivasi
status for the purposes of affirmative action as available to the Adivasi
masses of India.
The Van Gujjars -- meaning forest Gujjars -- actually live in forests as
quasi-nomads. During the winter they come down to the plains along with their
cattle, and return to the upper Shivalik hills during summer. They are thus,
virtual Adivasis -- though not as poor as the average Adivasi population of
India. Their income far exceeds their needs.
However, what the Rajasthan Gujjar leadership did not tell us is the fact
that, despite the Adivasi status, the Van Gujjars could not benefit from
affirmative action packages as available to the Adivasis.
The Van Gujjars have not been able to produce civil servants, doctors,
engineers, or even schoolteachers. Nor have the Rajasthan Gujjars been able to
produce civil servants, doctors, engineers, or even schoolteachers. They remain
as backward as they had been for ages.
So, if the Adivasi status couldn't help the Van Gujjars get government jobs,
how is that going to help the Rajasthan Gujjars even if they were to be
accorded Adivasi status?
As a matter fact, the Rajasthan Gujjars are already in the Other Backward
Classes list, yet, they have not been able to benefit from the OBC quota. How
do we interpret this extraordinary spectacle of backwardness of both -- Van
Gujjars and Rajasthan Gujjars!
As we know, the Van Gujjars depend on cattle for their livelihood -- selling
milk, sheep and goats to the mainlanders. If there is any similarity between
Van Gujjars and the Gujjars of Rajasthan, it is the culture of cattle rearing.
To Van Gujjars, cattle rearing is an absolute necessity as that is the only
source of sustenance they know. There is no way Van Gujjars could do farming in
the Shivalik hills, neither have they thought of immigrating to the mainland.
They have remained with their occupational culture for ages, and arguably, are
quite content.
But, as part of mainstream society, to the Rajasthan Gujjars, cattle rearing
is not a necessity as they have fairly good land holdings, and other
opportunities of enterprise available around them. Rooted in their tradition,
cattle rearing is a cult amongst Rajasthan Gujjars.
Even if a Gujjar family had for instance, a hundred acres of land, and
additional sources of income, by tradition, the family must have a couple of
cows or buffaloes, even few goats. In the Gujjar world, home produced pure milk
is as dire a necessity as oxygen to most of us. Cattle rearing thus become an
absolute necessity to a Gujjar household.
Not much has been researched or written about the predicament of the cattle
rearers. In India, cattle rearing is not recognised as an organised industry.
By nature, even those with a single animal require the services of small hands
-- of children, at some stage or the other during the day. Understandably,
there cannot be a cow or buffalo that will give milk round the year. So, if a
family has one cow, the logic of the availability of pure-milk throughout the
year demands another cow. In the process, often, all the members including
children are involved in taking care of the cows.
So what price does cattle rearing demand from the family?
Children are less likely to enroll in schools. Those who have enrolled, are
likely to drop out. The few who still manage to get a degree, tend to
under-perform and hence are unfit in the job market.
Rajasthan Gujjars, or the Gujjar community as a whole with few exceptions
though, is trapped in the tradition of cattle rearing. Since the mainland
Gujjars live in mainstream society, they watch members of other communities
getting into government jobs, which brings instant prestige and recognition in
society.
The Rajasthan Gujjars now aspire for government positions but without
abandoning their tradition of cattle rearing. Can the Adivasi status take
Rajasthan Gujjars forward unless they depart from tradition and embrace
modernity? Will the Gujjars engage in a new debate for an intensive reform
within?
rediff.com/news/2007/jun/07cbp.htm
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