Indian church leaders denounce government yielding to Jat quotas

Church leaders in India have termed as a "gross injustice" the Indian government's decision to grant quotas to an influential agricultural caste group in northern Haryana state.  The government's nod Sunday to granting the Jat community quota in educational institutions and government jobs under the category of backward class came after the members of the community went on a violent statewide protest, with loss of life, injury and damage to property and services.  Backward class is a term used by the government to classify castes that are educationally and socially disadvantaged.  However, they are politically influential in Haryana as they are the predominant caste group.

Taking stock of the situation, the federal government late Feb. 21 conceded to the demands of the community and agreed to introduce a Jat quota bill in the assembly session next month.  "This proves that with muscle power, you can do anything. Giving reservation to such an influential class is a gross injustice to people who really deserve these special rights," Father Savari Muthu, spokesman of Delhi Archdiocese, told UCANEWS.  He said that the way the Jat community received their quota, "it has [now] become easy for every community to demand it and have it by indulging in violence."  Father Gyanprakash Topno, spokesman of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India, condemned the large-scale violence unleashed by the Jat community.  "It is very unfortunate. The loss of lives and property looks like that there is no rule of law in the country," Father Topno told UCANEWS.  The priest said that "there is a way of protesting and putting forward your demands to the government. The way these demonstrators went on vandalizing property is very condemnable."  (Source: UCAN)