Gurjar & Reservation

The Gujjar or Gurjar are an ethnic group and caste of the Indian subcontinent ( Gurjara, Gujar and Goojar).

In Rajasthan, some members of the Gurjar community resorted to violent protests over the issue of reservation in 2006 and 2007. In September 2006, the Gurjars organized violent protests, after the ruling Government failed to keep its promise of including the community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. In May 2007, during violent protests over the reservation issue, the members of the Gurjar community clashed with the police twenty six people (including two policemen). Subsequently, the Gurjars protested violently, under various groups including the Gurjar Sangarsh Samiti, Gurjar Mahasabha and the Gurjar Action Committee. Presently, the Gurjars in Rajasthan are classified as Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

On June 05, 2007 the Gurjar rioted over their desire to be added to the governments of India list of tribes who are given preference in India government job selection as well as placement in the schools sponsored by the states of India. This preference is given under a system designed to help India's poor and disadvantaged citizens. However, other tribes on the list oppose this request as it would make it harder to obtain the few positions already set aside.

In December 2007, the Akhil Bhartiya Gujjar Mahasabha ("All-India Gurjar Council") stated that the community would boycott BJP, which is in power in Rajasthan.[51]

In early 2000s, the Gujjar community in Rajasthan was also in news for the falling sex ratio, unavailability of brides and the resulting polyandry.

The origins of the Gurjars are uncertain. The Gurjara clan appeared in northern India about the time of the Huna invasions of northern India. Some scholars, such as V. A. Smith, believed that the Gurjars were foreign immigrants, possibly a branch of Hephthalites ("White Huns"). D. B. Bhandarkar (1875-1950) believed that Gujars came into India with the Hunas, and the name of the tribe was sanskritized to "Gurjara". He also believed that several places in Central Asia, such as "Gurjistan", are named after the Gujars and that the reminiscences of Gujar migration is preserved in these names. General Cunningham identified the Gurjars with Yuezhi or Tocharians.

In the past, Gujjars have also been hypothesized to be descended from the nomadic Khazar tribes, although the history of Khazars shows an entirely different politico-culture ethos. This argument is chiefly based on the assumption that the word "Gurjar" is derived from the word "Khazar"; the Indo-Aryan languages lacked the sounds "kh" and "z", converting them respectively into "g" and "j". In Gazetteer of Bombay Presidency, the British civil servant James M. Campbell identified Gujars with Khazars.

Some Gujjars also claim that the Gurjar caste is related to the Chechens and the Georgians, and argue that Georgia was traditionally called "Gujaristan" (actually Gorjestan). Some of them also claim that Germans are Gujjars. However, there is no evidence for such claims. The word "Georgia" derived from the Arabic and Persian word Gurj, and not Gujjar or Gurjar.

Meenas, the powerful ST community has strongly opposed inclusion of the Gurjar's into the STs fearing lesser number of seats that would be available to them as a consequence. Since everything in the end will be decided by whats the politically smart thing to do I see little chance of the Gurjars' demands being met. Thats because they comprise a mere 2% of the votes in Rajasthan as opposed to 12% for the Meena community.

None of the media have mentioned the fact that Meenas of Sawai Madhopur are generally a wealthy lot owning several acres of land etc.They are listed under Scheduled tribes, since during the erstwhile maharaja's rule they were listed as criminal tribes.

Several Meenas are in very high positions not only in Rajasthan.

Make it necessary to prove economic disability to claim any reservation.

That is the only solution.

Caste wars Jats Vs Rajputs etc are no longer relevant.