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Jaipur: The Gujjar community, demanding tribal status, and the Rajasthan government on Saturday held the third round of talks, raising hopes of an amicable solution after a 23-day violent standoff.
"The third round of talks were held in a much better environment then the second round," Ramdas Agarwal, who heads the government delegation, said.
"We have again invited K.S. Bainsla to be part of the talks," he said.
Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Gujjar leader Bainsla have not attended talks so far.
"We are moving towards a solution," Agarwal said.
Masood Chaudhary, vice-chancellor of a university in Jammu and Kashmir who is heading the Gujjar delegation, said: "A five-member delegation is going to Pilupura near Bayana to apprise Bainsla about the talks held so far."
He added further talks with the government will be held here after the delegation returns.
"We are moving towards final stages of our talks," Chaudhary said, adding any final decision will be taken only by Bainsla, convenor of the Gujjar Sangarsh Aarakshan Samiti.
Bainsla's organisation has been spearheading the community's agitation for Scheduled Tribe status and therefore better education and employment opportunities.
Compensation sought
Chaudhary said the community wanted tribal status and compensation for those killed in police firing.
Though both leaders refused to give details of the three rounds of talks, sources in the state government said Gujjars were being offered four to six per cent reservation under the denotified tribe category.
Meanwhile, K.L. Meena, former cabinet minister in the state government and a Bharatiua Janata Party legislator, resigned from the assembly in protest against concessions being offered to Gujjars.
Meena, who comes from the tribal Meena community, went to assembly Speaker Sumitra Singh's residence with his resignation letter. As she was away from Jaipur, he left his resignation at her residence.
The Meena community has opposed any move to include Gujjars in the tribal list and have also threatened a mass agitation if the government made any changes in the existing Scheduled Tribes list.
The Gujjars and the state government began talks Monday in Bayana in Bharatpur district, about 160 kilometres from here.
The Gujjar leaders had then focussed on three conditions - release of the Gujjars held during the agitation, restoration of power supply to some Gujjar-dominated areas, and a stop to police raids in their areas.
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