Jats to celebrate Black Holi if reservation demand not met

The agitating Jat community in Haryana today decided to observe the festival of Holi on Sunday as 'Black' Holi if their demand for reservation in central government jobs is not accepted.

The activists of Jat Aarakshan Samiti announced that if the Central government fails to accept their demand of reservation, they would observe the festival of colours as Black Holi.

They staged protests in support of their demand at various places in which a large number of women also participated even as railway traffic remained disrupted on various routes near here.

Train services on the Hisar-Bhiwani, Hisar-Jakhal and Hisar-Sadulpur sections of North Western Railways remained disrupted on the thirteenth day today due to the blockage of rail tracks by the Akhil Bhartiya Jat Aashakshan Sangharsh Samiti activists at various places in the district.

The railways have cancelled a number of trains bound for various destinations including Ludhiana, Rewari, Jaipur, Amritsar, Gorakhpur and Sirsa.

The protesters are demanding inclusion of the Jat community in the list of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) to enable them avail the benefit of reservation in government jobs, both in state and the Union governments.

Due to disruption of rail traffic, goods trains carrying coal have failed to reach here leading to closure of the Rajiv Gandhi Thermal Power Plant at Khedar near here.