Thousands of members of the Gujjar tribe have ground life in New Dehli to a halt today by blocking major roads in and out of the city, obstructing train tracks and burning car tires in a protest for better treatment. In addition to this, the Gujjars have also threatened to stop essential supplies, which include milk and vegetables, from getting into the city.



The Gujjars - a tribe that are traditionally nomadic farmers - are protesting against their status in society. Although the Gujjar tribe are already considered a disadvantaged group, they want to be reclassified further down the Hindu hierarchy. By being socially downgraded, the Gujjars will gain better access to government jobs and university places. This is because the Indian government runs an enormous affirmative action programme, which reserves half of all government jobs and university places to people who were socially disadvantaged by centuries of caste oppression.

The Gujjars have been protesting against their current social status and demanding change for a number of years. As Avinash Bandana, a Gujjar farmers' leader, explains, "the community needed the appropriate status. We cannot be placed too high." At the moment, the Gujjars high classification means that they cannot compete on the same level as their peers, who are the Jat and Yadav communities - renowned as being powerful landlords. Rather that their current status, the Gujjars, would rather be classified as a ‘tribal group’, which would place them among the least affluent and most poorly educated people in the whole country.

Many people are not happy for the Gujjar tribespeople to be reclassified. This is because people believe that succumbing to the Gujjars' demands would simply lead to a race to the bottom of the welfare system. This could eventually lead to different groups fighting for more and more government handouts. As the Times of India said of the debate in a recent editiorial, "The Gujjar agitation once again highlights the perils of caste-based reservations which is bound to lead to more groups clamouring for quota benefits." The Times of India journalist feels that the only way to stop these protests is to change the social welfare system altogether. The journalist explained: "It is time that the Indian state takes a more nuanced approach to affirmative action. A points-based system where factors like income and gender are considered, in addition to caste, might deliver social justice better."

In order to stem the violence that has erupted in Delhi, additional police protection has been sent to all entry points and police check posts have been erected at various places throughout the city. In addition to this, the authorities have put Delhi and the surrounding areas, which make up India's National Capital Region, on high alert.