The Gujarat government seems to be in a fix over the issue of 33 percent reservation for unreserved category women in government jobs. A day after the government announced to modify a contentious provision that bars SC/ST people from competing with general category candidates, several groups of the general category have hit the roads protesting the move.
On Wednesday, hundreds of women from unreserved category took out a rally against the proposed modification in Gandhinagar and lodged their protest with the collector. Meanwhile, over 250 women also moved a petition in the Gujarat High Court against the government's move of changing the provision. Many of these women have cleared their examinations and waiting for the next stage of the recruitment process. They have sought the court's intervention to direct the government not to interfere in the list of candidates who have already been selected.
Besides, leaders like Lalji Patel and Dinesh Bambhaniya from the Patidar community have threatened to go on an indefinite fast in Gandhinagar to pressurise the government. Bambhaniya told reporters in Gandhinagar that "any modification in the government resolution will invite strong opposition from the community." He added that the protest is not against any particular community.
The bone of contention is a government resolution passed by chief minister Vijay Rupani led government on August 1, 2018, that barred reserved category women from applying in the open (33 percent) category seats reserved in government recruitment for women. The trouble started after the government announced the recruitment of Lok Rakshak Dal (LRD), which is part of a constabulary force of state police who get a fixed salary for five years, last year under the new rule.
For more than two months, dozens of women from SC/ST and other reserved category have been protesting against the government, demanding their inclusion in the 33 percent reserved category seats for women. They are being supported by the opposition Congress. Following their protest, the minister of state for home Pradipsinh Jadeja on Tuesday had announced that it will modify the resolution.