Creative calms tourist fears in Rajasthan

NEW DELHI – Leaders of an Indian tribal group have called off protests over affirmative action policy after the authorities agreed to look into their demands.

Gujjar community leaders met Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia on Monday after a week of clashes in the state left at least 23 people dead.

Gujjar community members want access to government jobs and other benefits.

Rajeev Kohli, director of marketing with Creative Travel India last week issued an update on the troubles in Rajasthan that are “hindering operations of tour programmes into certain parts of India”.

Kohli said despite the problems client safety and security was not at risk.

He said “some regional disturbances have impeded our abilities to fulfill obligations to clients booking in the Jaipur and surrounding regions in Rajasthan. There is no reason for concern for the general safety of travelers to India”.

“Three days ago there were some demonstrations in the region of Dausa in Rajasthan where some local tribal communities were protesting for an affirmative action quota which would give them access to government jobs and other benefits.

“The trouble started in the state’s Dausa district when police fired on the Gujjar community protesters who had blocked the main road connecting the city of Jaipur with the tourist destination of Agra where the Taj Mahal is located.

“This demonstration got out of hand and subsequently 14 people were killed in police – demonstrator clashes. This lead to a further escalation of violence and a shutdown of all highways into Jaipur by the protesters.

“A strike call by protesters has shut several towns, including Kota and Ajmer, although the state capital, Jaipur, continues to function normally.

“Train services across the state have been disrupted, with protesters uprooting rail tracks in many places.

“Thousands of soldiers have been deployed across the state to keep peace.

“The Gujjars – a large and politically-influential nomadic tribe spread across north India – want to be categorised as an official tribe so that they may benefit from affirmative action quotas which will give them access to government jobs as well as places in state-supported schools and colleges.

“If the government accedes to their demand, it falls foul of the Meena tribe which is already in the official tribes list and at present corners most of the benefits meant for them. Meenas do not want to share the benefits with the Gujjars.

“The issue of affirmative action is a sensitive one in India, with many poor communities arguing that it is the only way millions of under-privileged people can benefit from India’s economic boom.”

“To reiterate, the situation on the ground in India is calm. The agitations are in no way directed against foreigners or against areas of tourism. This is a situation of protest between citizens and the political powers.

“Such agitations are a part of life in India and in our true style of being a vibrant democracy, they do get over excited at times. This situation is no different.”

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