Kirori Singh Bainsla
Encyclopedia
Kirori Singh Bainsla is a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the Indian Army
and was the leader of an India
n caste protest movement that was demanding reservation in government jobs for the Gurjar community in Rajasthan
, India
. Protest marches organized by the movement have at times led to violent clashes with the civil authorities, and been accompanied by extensive property damage. In 2007, Bainsla led a protest in which 27 people were killed in clashes with police, and as of May 2008, a total of 43 people had died in such clashes, most of them protesters. Bainsla has blamed police for the violence.
Bainsla is leader of Gurjar Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti which has led the wave of protests across Rajasthan including one major protest that blockaded Delhi
for a day. The Rajasthan High Court
issued a notice of contempt against Bainsla for allegedly violating a previous order to keep the protests within lawful bounds. After 25 days of protest and 5 days of negotiations Bainsla's meetings with envoys of Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje
proved fruitful to award the Gurjar community status of special reserved category, however the Gurjars are still fighting for the special reservation (5%), Vasundhara Raje claimed for.
(Private
). He fought in the Sino-Indian war
of 1962 and Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
and was taken a prisoner of war in the latter. His seniors in the Army named him the Rock of Gibraltar. He was later elevated to officer
rank, and commissioned into the Rajputana Rifles
regiment of the Indian Army. In the fullness of time, he rose to the senior rank of Lieutenant Colonel. It has been speculated that his military background might have enabled him to organize the Gurjar protest with such precision and on the large scale which characterised it. Bainsla has a daughter who works with the Income Tax department
in Delhi
, two sons in the Army and one son in a private mobile firm. But despite his children being well-settled in cities, he lives in Hindaun
, a tehsil in Karauli district
of Rajasthan.
One of his famous quote is
Only a bullet or a letter (granting the demands) can remove me from here. He wears the trademark red turban, white clothes and has a lathi
in hand. One of the reason he says he is engaged in this cause is because his children are well settled, and so now he can think of his "greater family."
s(OBC) category. However, Gurjars have failed to make much progress as they compete with many other well educated communities in the OBC category. Bainsla wants to rectify this apparent disadvantage by registering Gurjars as ST (Scheduled Tribe) - a technically lower status, but one that entitles a community to more government assistance. During the initial days he was marked as "mad man" by his own community for raising such a demand.
In 2007, he withdrew the demand for ST status for Gurjars after talks with the Rajasthan Government. However, some sections of the community felt betrayed and accused him of being an agent of the government. In 2008, he renewed the call for ST status, and a new wave of Gurjar protests have since captured the attention of the whole country and put Rajasthan on standstill. Some media outlets have accused other Gurjar leaders of hypocrisy for their alleged lavish lifestyles, but Bainsla has largely avoided these accusations.
Govt of Rajasthan in particular and Union Govt of India in general should understand the situation of Gurjars. In nut-shell, State Government of Rajasthan should make a survey that how many Gurjars in Government services(Class wise) i.e. Class-I to Class-IV in each Department / oroganisations. Survey Proforma: 1.Name, Rank & Tel/Mob No.; 2. Date of Appointment; 3. Caste (Gurjars, Rajput, Jat, Brahman, Meena) 4. Educational Qualification; 5. Department/Organisation
It should be completed within a stipulated time of 1 month.
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
and was the leader of an India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n caste protest movement that was demanding reservation in government jobs for the Gurjar community in Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Protest marches organized by the movement have at times led to violent clashes with the civil authorities, and been accompanied by extensive property damage. In 2007, Bainsla led a protest in which 27 people were killed in clashes with police, and as of May 2008, a total of 43 people had died in such clashes, most of them protesters. Bainsla has blamed police for the violence.
Bainsla is leader of Gurjar Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti which has led the wave of protests across Rajasthan including one major protest that blockaded Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
for a day. The Rajasthan High Court
Rajasthan High Court
The Rajasthan High Court is the High Court of the state of Rajasthan. It was established on 21 June 1949 under the Rajasthan High Court Ordinance, 1949.The seat of the court is at Jodhpur...
issued a notice of contempt against Bainsla for allegedly violating a previous order to keep the protests within lawful bounds. After 25 days of protest and 5 days of negotiations Bainsla's meetings with envoys of Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje
Vasundhara Raje
Vasundhara Raje was the Chief Minister of Rajasthan state of India from December 2003 till December 2008. She is the first woman Chief Minister of Rajasthan.- Early life :...
proved fruitful to award the Gurjar community status of special reserved category, however the Gurjars are still fighting for the special reservation (5%), Vasundhara Raje claimed for.
Personal life
Kirori Singh Bainsla joined the Army as a sepoy following in the footsteps of his father who served in the British Indian Army. He was married at the age of 14. His wife helped him during the initial years to get ST status for Gurjars. She died in 1996. Bainsla began his career as a teacher in a government school but, like many Gurjars, joined the army at the lowest rank of sepoySepoy
A sepoy was formerly the designation given to an Indian soldier in the service of a European power. In the modern Indian Army, Pakistan Army and Bangladesh Army it remains in use for the rank of private soldier.-Etymology and Historical usage:...
(Private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
). He fought in the Sino-Indian war
Sino-Indian War
The Sino-Indian War , also known as the Sino-Indian Border Conflict , was a war between China and India that occurred in 1962. A disputed Himalayan border was the main pretext for war, but other issues played a role. There had been a series of violent border incidents after the 1959 Tibetan...
of 1962 and Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. This conflict became known as the Second Kashmir War fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, the first having been fought in 1947...
and was taken a prisoner of war in the latter. His seniors in the Army named him the Rock of Gibraltar. He was later elevated to officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
rank, and commissioned into the Rajputana Rifles
Rajputana Rifles
The Rajputana Rifles is the most senior rifle regiment of the Indian Army. It was originally raised in 1921 as part of the British Indian Army, when six previously existing regiments were amalgamated together to form six battalions of the 6th Rajputana Rifles...
regiment of the Indian Army. In the fullness of time, he rose to the senior rank of Lieutenant Colonel. It has been speculated that his military background might have enabled him to organize the Gurjar protest with such precision and on the large scale which characterised it. Bainsla has a daughter who works with the Income Tax department
Ministry of Finance (India)
The Ministry of Finance is an important ministry within the Government of India. It concerns itself with taxation, financial legislation, financial institutions, capital markets, center and state finances, and the Union Budget....
in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, two sons in the Army and one son in a private mobile firm. But despite his children being well-settled in cities, he lives in Hindaun
Hindaun
Hindaun is a town in Karauli district in Rajasthan . This is the town located in the vicinity of Aravali Hills & is on the main railway track from Delhi to Mumbai, via Kota, approx. 256 km away from New Delhi. It is a subdivisional headquarters in India. Its population is approximately...
, a tehsil in Karauli district
Karauli district
Karauli District is a district of Rajasthan state in western India. The town of Karauli is the district headquarters. The district of Karauli encompasses an area of 5530 km². It is bordered by Dholpur District to the east; by Bharatpur District to the north-east; by Dausa District to the...
of Rajasthan.
One of his famous quote is
Lathi
Lathi means stick and also refers to an Indian martial art based on cane-fighting. The word is used in Hindi, Bengali and various other Indian languages. The lathi typically measures 6 to and may be tipped with metal. It commonly used as a crowd control device by the Indian Police and other South...
in hand. One of the reason he says he is engaged in this cause is because his children are well settled, and so now he can think of his "greater family."
Demand for scheduled tribe status
In Rajasthan, Gurjar are officially part of many communities that come under Other backward casteOther Backward Class
The Central Government of India classifies some of its citizens based on their social and economic condition as Scheduled Caste , Scheduled Tribe , and Other Backward Class . The OBC list presented by the commission is dynamic and will change from time to time depending on social, educational and...
s(OBC) category. However, Gurjars have failed to make much progress as they compete with many other well educated communities in the OBC category. Bainsla wants to rectify this apparent disadvantage by registering Gurjars as ST (Scheduled Tribe) - a technically lower status, but one that entitles a community to more government assistance. During the initial days he was marked as "mad man" by his own community for raising such a demand.
In 2007, he withdrew the demand for ST status for Gurjars after talks with the Rajasthan Government. However, some sections of the community felt betrayed and accused him of being an agent of the government. In 2008, he renewed the call for ST status, and a new wave of Gurjar protests have since captured the attention of the whole country and put Rajasthan on standstill. Some media outlets have accused other Gurjar leaders of hypocrisy for their alleged lavish lifestyles, but Bainsla has largely avoided these accusations.
Govt of Rajasthan in particular and Union Govt of India in general should understand the situation of Gurjars. In nut-shell, State Government of Rajasthan should make a survey that how many Gurjars in Government services(Class wise) i.e. Class-I to Class-IV in each Department / oroganisations. Survey Proforma: 1.Name, Rank & Tel/Mob No.; 2. Date of Appointment; 3. Caste (Gurjars, Rajput, Jat, Brahman, Meena) 4. Educational Qualification; 5. Department/Organisation
It should be completed within a stipulated time of 1 month.