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New Delhi: The Gujjars are a caste group living across the north, north-west and western parts of India. They do not subscribe to any one religion and can be found among Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs, though majority of them are Hindus.
Gujjars do not have any particular dialect and speak the local language. Their economic and social status varies from state to state, but generally they are either peasants or into milk-related business.
They could be cattle grazers as in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh or they own dairies and sell milk in Haryana, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh.
While Gujjars of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh were granted status of the Scheduled Tribe, in all other states they are classified as the Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
However, while in states such as Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat they are relatively prosperous, the same cannot be said about the Gujjars of Rajasthan.
Gujjars in Rajasthan have long been demanding a social demotion and want to be included in the list of Scheduled Tribe. They find themselves sandwiched between the Jats and the Meena who have further prospered using their status as OBC and ST respectively.
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