Trains resume in Rajasthan, passengers heave a sigh of relief

Jaipur, June 12 : Passengers in Rajasthan heaved a sigh of relief after trains and bus services today resumed partially in the State hit by Gujjar agitation.

"This is good for the common man. People who were stranded, would now be able to make a move," said Ashok, a commuter.

Officials said that the trains have been resumed after the State administration has assured safety of passengers.

They said that the trains on Jaipur-Agra route would run only during the day as of now in the interest of passengers' safety.

The services for the Delhi-Mumabi route via Kotah are still to be resumed.

Meanwhile, bus services were also resumed in the area. Bus operators and drivers said that the situation is normal in the region and they do not fear about running the buses.

"Things are normal now, there is no agitation by the Gujjars," said Mohan Singh, a bus driver.

During the last two weeks, the agitating Gujjars had blocked roads and railway tracks and torched some government vehicles. Some Gujjars had also briefly halted traffic on highways leading to New Delhi last month.

The ongoing Gujjar agitation had crippled the life in the northwestern region of the country since May 23 when they began their agitation during which, more than 40 people were killed mostly in police firing in Rajasthan.

Members of the ethnic Gujjar community have been staging demonstrations, blocking rail traffic by squatting on the tracks and demanding the Scheduled Tribe status to obtain a quota for government jobs and admissions in universities reserved for such groups.

ANI