Mathura: Jats in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday decided
to suspend their pro-quota stir for the next six months, a day
after their Haryana counterparts called off the three week
long agitation which had caused massive disruption of rail
traffic in northern India.
The decision was taken by a Panchayat of Jats chaired at
Kafurpur near JP Nagar by Akhil Bhartiya Jat Arakshan
Sangharsh Samiti President Yashpal Mullick.
The agitation, demanding reservation for Jats in central
government jobs under the OBC category, was suspended in
response to the assurance from the Centre that a decision on
the demand would be taken within six months, Vice President of
the outfit Colonel Vikram Singh, who attended the Panchayat, said.
The assurance had been given by Union Home Minister P
Chidambaram and Social Justice Minister Mukul Vasnik to a
delegation of Jat leaders in New Delhi recently.
"The core committee of the Samiti would meet on April 10
to decide the dates of Chetna Yatra to be taken out sometime
next month to create awareness among Jats and to apprise with
the details of the agitation that ultimately has given the
result in our favour," Singh said.
Earlier in the day, members of the community had decided
to block supply of essential commodities including milk,
vegetables and fruits to Delhi from tomorrow, prompting
authorities to beef up security and promulgate prohibitory
orders foil any attempt by them to disrupt rail and road
traffic.
The Jat agitation had paralysed rail traffic in many
parts of north India for over a fortnight as community members
had been sitting on dharna on the tracks at various places in
Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Meanwhile, INLD President and former Haryana chief
minister Om Prakash Chautala justified the demand for quota to
Jats in central government jobs saying their cause could not
be ignored.
"If the centre can give reservation to Jats in Rajasthan
why can`t it do it for members of the community elsewhere," he
told reporters in Faridabad.
He said he was not in favour of curtailment in the quota
being given to other communities to accomodate Jats but their
demand could not be ignored.
PTI
