India caste riot toll rises
Violent protests by Gujjar community have left 37 people dead in Rajasthan state.
Published On 25 May 2008
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: News Agencies