Mar 2, 2017: Several thousands Jats assembled today at Jantar Mantar to stage demonstration in support of seven-point demands including reservation in Government jobs and educational institutions and announced they would intensify their stir, even laying siege to Parliament if the BJP-led State and Central Government remain insensitive to their demands.
Apart from Delhi, this time Jat people from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand participated in today’s demonstration giving further boost to Jat struggle. Political observers opined, Struggle of Jat communities, like Patidar agitation is just the tip of the iceberg.
The All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) which is spearheading the agitation, blamed the BJP led Haryana Government as well as Central Government for being “insensitive” demands of Jat people.
Apart from attempts by some agitators to break the barricades on Parliament Street who were arrested, today’s demonstration was peaceful. The leaders of the Samiti said, today’s demonstration is a wakeup call for BJP at the helm of Haryana and Centre. “The BJP led Governments must pay heed to our demands, otherwise Jat community will be forced to intensify the agitation. We may even lay siege to Parliament, if the State and Central Governments continue to overlook our demands.
Notably, The agitation for reservation by Jat Community took a violent turn in 2016 in Haryana and agitators were killed. Among the 7-point demands, Samiti leaders also demanded jobs to the next kin of those who were killed in violence ridden 2016 agitation, withdrawal of cases registered against Jat agitators and action against officers who were involved in using forces against the agitators.
Addressing the issue of reservation and crisis management by State BJP team and Central Government will not be an easy task. The more time Government will waste in addressing the issue, the complicated it will become. One can not discard the Patidar agitation on similar ground. Modi-led Government, as such, has not faced any major public agitation except Patidar and Jat Public agitations. Continuity and intensity of these two agitations clearly needs to be taken care of with outmost care and sincerity. Political observers are keeping their options open as to whether today’s Jantar Mantar agitation will be successful in ‘waking up’ the BJP at State and Centre.
