The protest by "JATS" in Haryana...

Who are the Jats, and what are they demanding? Jats are an agricultural caste group in Haryana, and seven other states in North India, notably Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat. In Haryana, they are the predominant caste, and therefore politically influential.

When did the demand begin? Discontent boiled over after the 1991 Gurnam Singh Commission report included Jats in the Backward Classes category along with seven other groups, and after the Bhajan Lal government withdrew the notification that had been issued for inclusion. Two more Backward Classes Commissions set up in the state excluded the group – in 1995 and 2011. Reservation for Jats was one of the poll promises made by Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who came to power in 2004; he subsequently wrote several letters to the Union government seeking their inclusion of Jats. After an agitation, in April 2011, the government set up the K C Gupta Commission to go into the question once again. In 2012, the commission recommended the inclusion of Jats and four other castes, Jat Sikhs, Ror, Tyagi and Bishnoi, in the category Special Backward Classes (SBC). The Hooda government accepted the report and 10% quota was granted, but this was later set aside by the Supreme Court.

What are the legal issues involved in granting reservation to Jats? What is the policy in neighboring states? On March 17, 2015, the Supreme Court quashed the UPA government’s decision to extend the OBC quota in central government jobs to Jats, refusing to accept that Jats were a backward community. Consequently, the reservation introduced for Jats in Haryana and eight other states — Gujarat, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Bharatpur and Dholpur districts of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand — was set aside. In April 2015, the NDA government filed a review petition in the Supreme Court against the March 17 verdict.

Where do the Jats stand in Haryana’s political hierarchy? Since being carved out of Punjab in 1966, Haryana state has had 10 chief ministers, and seven have been Jats. Jats comprise 27% of the electorate, and are the state’s predominant caste group, who dominate a third of the 90 Assembly constituencies in the state. The leaders of the two main opposition political parties — Bhupinder Singh Hooda of the Congress and Abhay Singh Chautala of the Indian National Lok Dal — are Jats. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar represents the Punjabi community, and belongs to the Khattar caste.

What has this agitation, which is turning into violent protests lead to?

• More than 700 trains have been diverted/cancelled due to this stir
• Himachal Roadways had suspended all bus services on routes passing through Haryana in view of the Jat agitation
• Thousands of trucks carrying essential supplies and goods were stranded in the affected districts as highways and roads were blocked.
• Delhi government has ordered all private and govt schools in the capital to remain closed on Monday in the wake of water crisis due to Jat quota protests in Haryana
• Chaos reigned in Haryana on Saturday with escalated violence in several areas as hooligans, who have joined ranks of Jat protestors, ran amok, setting afire government and private property and vehicles, blocking roads and highways, disrupting trains and uprooting tracks and indulging in looting Protesters burnt cars, police jeeps and trucks, blocked traffic, tried to torch properties of state finance minister Captain Abhimanyu and BJP MLA Manish Kumar Grover and also wrecked the Agro Mall building in Rohtak district, according to reports
• Ticket counter of Basai Railway Station in Haryana set on fire by Jat reservation agitators on Sunday morning (21-02-2016)
• Five persons were killed and 20 others were injured in separate incidents in the city today. Two persons were killed and 20 others were injured when an unruly mob attacked residents of Chhawani Mohalla here. The attackers set several houses on fire in the colony and also damaged many houses in the Beri Gate locality
• Haryana has suffered a loss of around Rs 20,000 crore on account of burning and destroying of public and private property due to one going Jat stir, said industry body Assocham

Now, the question is what have we got?

• Loss of Thousands of Crores of public & private property
• Life of more than 10 persons
• Inconvenience to thousands of passengers
• Loss of studies for Delhi school students (even if it is for one day only)

Now not being rude or unsympathetic towards the jat community, but do they really believe that their demands are worth this much loss (and may be more if we account for past and possible future happenings.) Are we so scared to compete with others that we need reservation for ourselves. Yes, it hurts when someone gets a job with 50-55% marks and we lag behind even with 80% marks. But, we are competing with the best (those who have got above 80) while they (in reserved category) are competing with the mediocre. And the reservation is only in govt jobs, not private ones (so far). Why the hell are we scared to work in a private company, when we want our children to go in private schools and get the best treatment in private hospitals?

 Yes, it is a fair demand that reservation shall not be available to anyone based on caste etc. (it violates the right to equality). But have we become so weak and broken that we are ready to be called backwards rather than compete from the front?

And even if nothing above is acceptable, still what is violence going to fetch us? If we burn a railway station, we only will complain later that our area doesn’t have a proper railway station. Damaging the public & private properties is not in the interest of anyone. Blocking the water supply (water is a basic necessity) is not at all justifiable by any means. Hurting someone that leads to someone’s death is not at all justifiable. Not for a demand to downgrade ourselves at least (Yes, being included in the backward class means we are getting downgraded in the so called caste system)

So, it’s a humble request that even if we want to stage protests for any demand from the govt. it shall be peaceful and constructive rather than destroying our nation’s property.