All eyes are set on the meeting scheduled for Saturday between the Jat leaders with the high-level committee constituted by the Haryana government to resolve the contentious issues for which the community members are staging protest in various parts of the state.
Finally, after nearly two weeks, the truce came into force between the state government and agitators as Jat leaders have agreed to a dialogue with the constituted committee. The meeting has been fixed for February 11 at Panipat refinery where five-member delegation of agitators each from an agitation spot headed by Akhil Bharatiya Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti (ABJASS) president Yashpal Malik would take up their various demand with the committee headed by Chief Secretary DS Dhesi.
Sources revealed that chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state may concede to a few of the demands of the agitators.
Talking to The Statesman, Haryana Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, Ram Niwas said, “The meeting has been fixed for tomorrow at Panipat refinery. As earlier also, I have said that the committee would try its best to resolve their issues under the ambit of the Constitution and different decisions and directions given by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in this regard. The state government is in favour of resolving the problems of the people, under the provisions of the Constitution.”
Nothing more could be revealed at this stage, he added. However, ABJASS chief Malik said, “We are stick to our demands and we are going to attend the meeting, but this time we are not going to change our minds merely with the assurance of the state government. The government must have to act towards fulfilling our demands. Otherwise, we will continue with the protests.”
Apart from permanent government jobs for the family members of the persons killed during the agitation last year, withdrawal of cases registered during last year against the protesters from Jat community, are among the few demands of the Jats agitating this time in Haryana.
Meanwhile, the ongoing agitation in 19 districts under the umbrella of ABJASS headed by Malik today entered 13th day peacefully as no untoward incident has been reported from anywhere in the state, however, the agitation has started spreading to parts of Delhi also.
The state government on February 7 constituted a committee headed by the Chief Secretary to consider the demands and resolve problems of those agitating for reservation in the state. Though, the agitators announced that they were ready to talk, but the meeting should be fixed somewhere adjoining to Rohtak instead of holding it in Delhi or Chandigarh. The Jat agitation in February last year left nearly 30 people dead while more than 200 injured. During the violence erupted last year, government and private properties were damaged and set on fire.