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Central & South Asia
India caste riot toll rises
Violent protests by Gujjar community have left 37 people dead in Rajasthan state.
Last Modified: 25 May 2008 13:37 GMT
Violence erupted in several villages and
towns of Rajasthan [EPA]
Authorities in India have invited leaders of one of the lowest castes for talks as the death toll rose to 37 from three days of bloody demonstrations over caste classification.
 
Police repeatedly opened fire on violent protests by the Gujjar community on Friday and Saturday in half a dozen villages and towns in western Rajasthan state.
Gujjars began protesting on Friday in villages and towns across Rajasthan after the government refused to reclassify their caste at a lower social level.
 

On Friday, 15 demonstrators were killed when police fired live ammunition and tear gas to halt rioting.

Rohit Kumar Singh, the state information commissioner, said on Sunday that 21 people were killed in clashes on Saturday,

 

Amanjit Singh Gill, Rajasthan's director-general of police, said security forces in Sikandra, a town 212km north of the Indian capital, New Delhi, fired at protesters on Saturday who torched a police station and two buses and shot and wounded a policeman.

 

Reclassification would allow the Gujjars to qualify for government jobs and university places reserved for such groups.

 

A police officer was also beaten to death and at least 70 injured people during the rioting.
Source:
Agencies
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