New Delhi: Temperatures seem to have come down in Rajasthan as the Gurjars agreed to hold talks with the state government on Sunday, however both sides have added a few riders.
The talks are expected to be held between the state government officials and Gurjar Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti, spearheaded by 70-year-old Colonel Kirori Singh Bainsla, on Monday.
In a bid to break the deadlock and bring Bainsla to the negotiating table, the state authorities earlier on Sunday offered to hold preliminary parleys with the Gurjar leadership in Bayana, provided the main talks took place in Jaipur.
Bainsla, who is presently camping in violence-hit Karwadi-Pilupura area, about five kilometers from Bayana, said that if the preliminary talks were "fruitful" and held in a "conducive" atmosphere, he would to go to Jaipur for further parleys.
According to reports, Rajasthan government's chief negotiator SN Thanvi was expected to go to Jaipur to seek instruction from the top state political leadership before proceeding for the first round.
Meanwhile, the Samiti, agitating for ST status, submitted to the authorities a list of 45 names who will be representing the community at the parleys.
However, the government asked Bainsla to limit the list to a dozen people and not to include the names of Gurjar leaders from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Delhi since the matter related to Rajasthan.
Attempts by the state government to bring Bainsla to the negotiating table had failed on Saturday as the two sides refused to budge on their stand over the choice of the venue.
While the state authorities wanted the parleys to be held in Jaipur, Bainsla insisted that they take place in Bayana.
Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's earlier offer to the Gurjar leadership to hold talks had also failed on the same ground.
Meanwhile, the Centre has told the Rajasthan government that the state is constitutionally empowered to grant denotified or nomadic tribe status to the Gurjars.
Normal life is slowly returning in the affected districts after a 16-day-long agitation. Rail routes through the state have also been reopened to traffic, but train services are yet to fully normalise.
The violent agitation by the Gurjars since May 23 has claimed the lives of 43 people in police firing and clashes.
(With agency inputs)
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