One dead as Haryana police fire on protesters

Police opened fire on protesters in northern India yesterday, killing one, as rival caste groups clashed during a mass rally over access to jobs and education.
The army was called in after several were injured in the violence in Haryana, as demonstrators clashing over preferential treatment for certain castes defied police orders and went on a rampage.  
State police chief Yash Pal Singal said a protester had shot at a member of the security personnel first during the demonstrations in Rohtak district triggering the violent retaliation by police.
“The BSF (Border Security Force) then fired in self-defence and unfortunately one protester lost his life. Some other people have received injuries,” Singal said in comments broadcast on TV channels.  
Haryana’s dominant Jat community, a comparatively affluent caste group, has been calling for quotas in government jobs similar to those allocated to lower-caste groups who have faced generations of societal discrimination.  
The Jats say they are struggling to compete with less privileged castes for government jobs and university places - but other caste groups have opposed their demands for special treatment.
The government called in about 2,000 troops to quash the protests, Press Trust of India reported, as TV footage showed demonstrators trying to set fire to vehicles and a house belonging to a state minister.
The protesters have blocked major highways and disrupted rail traffic since Wednesday, prompting police to clamp prohibitory orders on many districts.
Thousands of trucks, carrying supplies and goods, were stranded in the affected districts due to highways and roads being blocked. Over 40 trains were cancelled by railway authorities across Haryana yesterday as the Jat agitation escalated.
In Gurgaon, Jat protesters blocked roads, leading to traffic jams and chaos in the city, adjoining the national capital.
The authorities have blocked Internet and SMS services in the affected districts.
The Haryana government called an all-party meeting in Chandigarh to discuss the reservation issue and the Jat protests. The meeting urged the protesters to end their agitation and remove blockades.
Jat leaders however rejected the appeal.
After the all-party meeting, Khattar said: “The government is in favour of reservation for Jats in the state and is trying to find out ways and means for the same.”
Haryana is ruled by the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which has come in for criticism of late for its perceived iron-fisted approach on sensitive issues.
The protests echo caste violence that swept Gujarat in August last year, leaving several dead.
The state saw weeks of protests by the privileged Patidar or Patel caste, who demanded special treatment to put them on a level footing with lower castes.