Meenas lay seige to four villages, threaten to strike if Gurjjars succeed

“There are two trucks with soldiers inside that keep coming in and going out of the village but we are all scared. The Meenas have blocked the road and are not allowing anyone in or out and are harassing the Gurjjars who dare to venture out. I haven’t seen my neighbour since Friday night because all Gurjjar families have locked themselves in,” says Hanumanji.

Like Bhalpur, three other Gurjjar villages—Lakhanpur, Chandausa and Gurjjar Simla—are living in the constant fear of being attacked anytime by the Meenas who have taken up positions around these villages.

Since Friday night, when the Meenas gave an ultimatum to these four villages that they will be evicted if the reservation issue is resolved in the Gurjjars’ favour, the villages have lost touch with outside world. The mobile phone is the only link. They have rations to last a week but there is no supply of vegetables and milk.

It was also a strategy by the Meenas to enforce the stalemate: If the Gurjjars attack Meenas anywhere in Dausa, retaliation in the four villages would be swift.

And the Meenas are sticking to their word. On Sunday, a truck carrying rations for protestors in Peeplikheda in Dausa district was attacked and burnt following which Gurjjar leader Col Kirori Singh Bainsla initially backed out of talks with Chief Minister Vasundhra Raje.

“How far could you come? Is the highway still blocked?” that is the first question that Rajesh Gurjjar of Gurjjar Simla village asks when you call on his mobile phone and identify yourself. “The highway might be open but you cannot come inside, the Meenas are attacking everyone,” he says.

“There are no vegetables and essential supplies like milk and sugar. Some Gurjjar families who own cattle are providing milk to neighbours, otherwise there is nothing is coming into the village,” says Rajesh.

“The Meenas have threatened to attack anytime if we continue with the reservation demand. The administration is assuring us that the roads are open but no one will take the risk of venturing out when we are surrounded by the Meenas. All the Gurjjars are stuck inside,” says Rajesh over the telephone.

The Jaipur-Agra NH 11 is deserted and as you approach Sikandra, 30 km from Dausa,Gurjjar youths armed with lathis halt all vehicles but let them go after shouting a few slogans.

However, at Balaji Mod near Sikandra, things change. You are safe till you stick to the highway but try to take a turn into any of the villages and the Meenas block your path. They are angry and armed. “It is better you turn back from here. There is no need to go inside,” someone from the crowd warns us.

Dausa district collector H K Damor and Dausa SP P Ramji maintain that “things are normal, all roads are open and there is no tension.” But no Gurjjar is willing to venture out. The police stations at Dausa and Sikandra are both deserted. The SHO at Dausa said all policemen were patrolling the villages.

“The men are also not venturing out leaving behind women and children. After Lalsot and Mahua incidents, there is no guarantee that they would not attack or misbehave with the women,” says Jagdish Gurjjar from Bhalpur village.

The Meenas surrounded the four villages after it became apparent on Saturday that Gurjjar leader Bhainsla would meet Chief Minister Raje and a ‘favourable outcome’ was expected. “The Meenas gave an ultimatum that if Raje agreed in favour of the Gurjjars, they would retaliate. On the other hand, they were also preparing to face Gurjjar anger if the talks failed,” says Bayana MLA and Gurjjar leader Atar Singh Bhadana.

On Sunday, the Meenas were also tense as thousands of Gurjjars took to the streets as those killed in the violence in Mahua and Lalsot were finally cremated in the afternoon. As news trickled in that a truck carrying supplies for Gurjjars was burnt near Dausa, there was anger among Gurjjars in the villages doting the highway and they swore vengeance.

“There is a stalemate between the Meenas and Gurjjars in these villages. The Meenas have gathered in large numbers around the villages and the atmosphere is overcharged and very tense. There are contingents of paramilitary forces or army jawans in these villages but I can understand the villagers’ fear,” says Home Secretary V S Singh.

Singh emphasises that while his forces are overstretched, the government has taken a decision not to use force against the Meenas or Gurjjars as things are slowly returning to normal. “We don’t want anymore violence. We have to the let the stalemate continue, at least there is no violence right now,” he says.