An Appeal to Jat Leaders for Restraint

COMMUNICATION

There have been several recent newspaper reports which indicate that there are strong possibilities of the revival of the agitation by several members of the Jat community. As at the time of the previous such agitation there was a lot of violence and arson and the peace of a huge area was disrupted for a long time, there are apprehensions among the people regarding their safety as well as prevalence of law and order. While the government of course has to initiate the necessary steps to ensure the maintenance of law and order, there is a strong and urgent need also for the Jat leaders to exercise restraint.

They must issue a clear statement to all their supporters that violence, arson and damage to property should be avoided. In addition, any disruption of rail and road traffic and harassment of commuters and disruption of water supply as well as other essential services and supplies should also be completely avoided. Distinguished elders from the community who have occupied respon-sible positions should come forward to advice restraint so that youths in particular can be prevailed upon to avoid unnecessary confron-tation. Theirs is an upward mobile community which has everything to gain from pursuing its interests and demands in peaceful ways while maintaining very good relations with all sections of society.

Instead of pursuing the path of needless confrontation, constructive community efforts for educational progress, social reform,improving the employability of youth, motivating them for innovative rural self-employment initiatives and genuinely improving relationships with other sections, including the weakest sections, will prove beneficial for the Jats as well as for the entire society. The need is not for narrow progress of just one community but for integrating its progress with the progress of the entire community.

Bharat Dogra
C 27, Raksha Kunj,
Paschim Vihar,
New Delhi—110063