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Gujjars don't qualify for ST status: Expert panel
Published on Tue, Dec 18, 2007 at 11:08, Updated on Tue, Dec 18, 2007 at 17:30 in 
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New Delhi: The Rajasthan government will forward the Chopra Committee report on the status of Gujjars, who are demanding a Scheduled Tribe tag in Rajasthan, to the Central government without any changes. However, a Cabinet sub-committee has been constituted to look into the suggestion of providing a special package to Gujjars.
The report says that the Gujjars do not qualify the 5 Criterion to be included in the ST status. The criterion under which a community qualifies for being under ST status is geographical isolation, economic backwardness, shyness of the tribe, should be a forest dweller and cultural primitiveness. However, the report makes an observation that this criterion needs to be reviewed.
With Meena MLAs stepping up pressure, the Rajasthan government seems to be walking the tightrope on reservation issue. CNN-IBN learns the Chopra panel stops short of recommending Schedule Tribe status for Gujjars.
The report might be a mixed bag for both the Meenas and the Gujjars. It is expected that the report will stress on the need of Gujjars being brought into the mainstream, as there is marginal representation of the community in Rajasthan government at the moment.
However, there may not be any commitment on giving them scheduled tribe status.
The challenge for the Vasundhara Raje government now is to strike a balance between the Meena and Gujjar community. The Meenas have stepped up pressure on the Vasundhara Raje government, fearing that the report might go in favour of the Gujjars.
Gujjars' agitation seeking tribal status had turned violent in June and later Justice Chopra Committee was constituted to examine the Gurjars demand for ST status.
The BSP MLAs submitted their papers to the Janjati Arakshan Bachao Sanyukt Sangarsh Samiti while the Congress MLA to his own tribal community, a release said.
The move, apparently to put pressure on Raje government not to give any recommendation to the Centre for granting ST status to the Gurjars, came two days before Justice Chopra Committee submits its report to the government.
The Relief Minister Kirorilal Meena, who had also threatened the to quit his post and the BJP, had a long discussions with the party's state unit president Mahesh Sharma and national treasurer Ramdas Agarwal last night, sources said.
According to agency reports, state relief minister Kirorilal Meena's wife went to the CM to submit his resignation on Sunday but the BJP has denied it. On Saturday, two BSP MLAs, Suresh Meena and Murari Meena, and one Congress MLA Ram-narayan Meena tendered their resignations.
Later, Kirorilal Meena told reporters that if the state government forwards the Chopra Committee report to the Centre recommending granting of ST status to the Gurjars, he would tender his resignation immediately.
He said though other Meena ministers and MLAs of BJP were keeping mum, they were ready to follow the directives of their community.
When contacted, Agarwal, who was one of the key negotiators with Kirori Singh Bainsla, told PTI that it was for the Chief Minister to decide whether the Chopra Committee report would be sent for judicial review or for a Cabinet Committee's review and approval.
With Agency inputs
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URBANEYE
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you are absolutely right...arjun singh is the root cause of dis mishap....
all for the sake of politics...but in real for
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If this goes on then one day the entire nation will become SC/ST, leaving the politicians no choice of divide
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India's reservation policy was crooked concept which will fail time and again, no matter what politicians say.
It has become nuisance
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What a Drama...the rtd Col.who is moving arround as Gujjar's pseudo god.....will he still want the ST status if govt
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Whole reservation issue requires a relook. What started as a charity for 10 years has become birth right.
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