Jat protesters were hoping to play the system by being reclassified to benefit from affirmative action. The government’s attempts to buy their votes could yet backfireIt’s now four days since Delhi was paralysed by members of the Jat caste. Unrest is so common in India that I heard one local complain,“At least the protestors could have given us the weekend off,” but the situation has been dire. Most of the city was left without water after rioters vandalised the Munak canal. Schools have been closed. At domestic, or people have had to skip bathing and washing clothes. Roads into the city were blocked,though they are slowly reopening, and there is such demand for flights out that tickets to the nearby city of Chandigarh are fetching 990 instead of the normal £30. Related: This is a watershed moment for India. It must choose freedom over intolerance | Priyamvada Gopal Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com