THE agitation which started for reservation for Jats went out of control and took such a violent shape that it caused a large scale destruction in the state. Major parts of the state witnessed a situation, continuously for four days, as if the administration and the government are nonexistent. All the areas became hostage to the trouble creators. The total loss of life and property cannot be assessed properly at this point of time. Officially there are reports of 20 deaths but the actual number may be more and there was a loss of private and public property worth thousands of crores of rupees. The ASSOCHAM has estimated the loss of property to the tune of over Rs 20,000 crores. Some other sources in the media claim it to be more than Rs 34,000 crores. The irreparable loss caused to the social amity and mutual faith is beyond imagination. It can hardly be imagined how the common people especially those who have petty livelihood means have passed this period of fear and rumours. More than half of the total deaths are the result of caste based attacks.

The main brunt of the trail of destruction has been borne by Rohtak city, Meham and Kalanaur towns of Rohtak district, Jhajjar, Bhiwani and Tosham, Sonipat and Gohana, Hansi and Hisar, Kaithal and Kalayat and Safidon town of Jind district. Starting from Rohtak, all these areas have witnessed large scale incidents of loot, damage to property, arson and incitement of caste violence. Hundreds of petty shops, exclusive show rooms, malls, private schools and colleges, diagnostic labs, petrol pumps, administrative complexes, railway stations, state transport buses and bus stands, private vehicles including school buses have been looted, destroyed and torched. At many places state and national highways have been dug up and railway tracks uprooted. Even water supply to Delhi had been stopped and the canal was damaged. There are reports of loot and arson in one gun house in Rohtak and 18 police stations all over the state. There are extremely disturbing reports of stranded women commuters having been sexually violated by gang of goons on NH-1 near Murthal in Sonepat. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has taken a suo motto cognizance of these media reports taking into account the barbaric and heinous nature of this incident. Failure of the state governmemt and unprincipled politics of the ruling party is primarily responsible for these tragic developments.

The decision of the previous UPA government, just before the elections, to provide OBC reservation to Jats was struck down by the Supreme Court. Since then the central and state government of the BJP have been repeatedly assuring for Jat reservation. Simultaneously one faction of the BJP has been opposing it publicly.  The divisions among the state leaders of the BJP on this issue have gone to such an extent that its central and state ministers belonging to the Jat community have been openly issuing statements supporting Jat reservation repeatedly while on the other hand some non-Jat ministers and an  MP have been opposing it. Not only this, one BJP MP has been engaged in provocative speeches and organising campaigns in opposition to Jat reservation. When some of the Jat reservation leaders were calling for organising Youth Army, the BJP MP was preparing for organising OBC Brigade in opposition. Such sinister games for caste polarisation continued for months together and the state government remained a mute spectator. Appeasement and inciting of casteist passions by the BJP leaders for petty political interests resulted in building up of an atmosphere of hostility which was later bound to take an explosive form. In the meantime, an audio clip of one close aide of an ex-CM of Congress has come in the media where he is allegedly asking one khap leader belonging to INLD to expand the agitation in Sirsa district. When asked by the media he said it was doctored. 

The agitation for Jat reservation had continuously been postponed owing to uncertainty with respect to panchayat elections in the state. Now after the completion of panchayat elections, various factions of Jat reservation movement called for separate agitations. Agitations started by two factions at Narwana (Jind) and Mayyar (Hisar) were withdrawn after assurances by the so-called Jat minister of the state and state BJP president. In opposition to withdrawal of these agitations without any ‘achievements’, the third faction took the lead and by blocking NH-10 at Sampla (Rohtak) on February 13 it declared a rasta roko agitation. As a result, many routes in Rohtak, Sonipat, Jhajjar and Bhiwani districts were blocked. On February 15, the chief minister invited leaders of various factions of Jat reservation agitation for talks at Chandigarh. The chief minister proposed that categories outside the reservation would be provided 20 percent reservation in the category of economically weaker sections. The income limit for this was put at Rs 6 lakh annually. It was assured that a legislation would be brought in the coming budget session of the assembly in this regard. Simultaneously he assured for some arrangement of reservation at the centre. Strangely enough, both the sides took contrary positions over the results of negotiations. While the so-called Jat leadership announced to intensify the agitation, the government side went into indecisive mode for reasons only they  have to explain.

The government totally refused to gauge  the gravity  of the situation and thus the preventive measures needed to contain the situation were not taken. The Rohtak administration not only failed to overcome the very initial incidents on February 18, but it seemed involved in aggravating the situation. The agitation continued to be aggressive since then and the mob continued to gather from adjoining rural areas. With the spread of news of Rohtak incident and related rumours, the situation started turning tense in other districts also. Death of one youth and several being injured in a clash between the BSF and the agitators near the office of the IGP on February 19 turned the situation completely out of control. Rioters and mischievous elements openly resorted to such loot, arson and damage that has resulted in the present destruction. 

THE Haryana state secretariat of the CPI(M), in a statement issued on February 25,  has called inadequate the decision of the Haryana government to constitute an enquiry commission, for finding out the lapses of the government officials in dealing with  the incidents of wide spread loot, arson and violence in the state during the Jat reservation agitation. The Party has termed it to be an exercise in shielding the failure of the state government and the negative role played by the ruling party.

State secretary of the Party, Surender Singh has said in the press release that the entire population of Haryana is accusing the government for failing in its constitutional obligation to defend the life, property, social fabric and mutual trust of the people. The people are asking if there was any concrete plan of the government to deal with this situation and what administrative and other measures it took and what its directions were. The role of central, state leaders and activists of the ruling party who were vitiating the social harmony by publicly provoking for and against the Jat reservation also needs to be included in the enquiry. In addition, all aspects of unprecedented social and economic devastation need to be impartially and reliably enquired. All the evil forces which have contributed to this havoc of tearing apart the social fabric must be identified and severely punished. The Party has reiterated its demand of judicial inquiry into all the aspects of the whole episode by a sitting judge of the High Court.

The Party sincerely feels that the situation is still volatile and the suspicious atmosphere continues. Some forces are still active in instigating and arousing the hurt feelings for petty interests. It is unfortunate that the ruling party has not learnt a lesson yet and its ministers and cadres are still continuing the consolidation on caste lines and accusing one another.

The Party has appealed to all the affected people, responsible and saner citizens to be vigilant of such forces and by assuaging the victims they should contribute to restoration of peace and amity.

When the situation turned totally out of control and all the roads had been blocked then the government  decided to call in the military and para- military forces. As the roads were not available for the forces to reach Rohtak, it took a very long time for air dropping of the forces. Thus clamping of curfew in 8 districts remained largely ineffective due to lack of sufficient number of army personnel. In this way the government and the administration was totally found wanting, what to speak of  instilling a sense of security among the citizens.

A meeting of the so called Jat leaders and Jat ministers of Haryana was held with the union  home minister  on February 21. It was declared that the Haryana assembly would bring a legislation in the coming budget session regarding 10 percent reservation for Jats under Special Backward Classes. And a high power committee under the chairmanship of a cabinet minister was constituted for finding ways and means to provide for reservation to Jats under the OBC at the centre.  The committee would submit its report at the earliest, it was announced.

When the agitation was not withdrawn even after this announcement, the Haryana cabinet on February 22 declared that one member from the family of each deceased person would be given a government job along with a compensation of Rs 10 lakhs and assessment of the loss to private property would be made and compensation paid. After that the situation in the state has somewhat come under control but the environment is still charged with deep distrust and suspicion.  On his visit to Rohtak on February 23, chief minister Khattar had to face the wrath of the victims of destruction as a result of total failure of the administration in providing security. They showed him black flags and he had to stop his speech and leave the venue in a huff.

CPI(M) and mass organisations have taken the initiative to approach the people in general and those of the affected areas in particular. Peace marches have been taken out in cities and towns at several places.