India: Jats call off protests after winning jobs promise

(TheNews-Pakistan)LeadersoftheJatcommunityreachedadeallateonMondaytoendproteststhatparalysedHaryanaandcutwatersuppliestoDelhi's20millionresidents,afterwinningapledgeofmoregovernmentjobs.

DaysofriotingandlootingacrossHaryanabytheJatcommunityhadchallengedPrimeMinisterNarendraModi'spromiseofbetterdaysforIndianswhoelectedhimin2014withthelargestmajorityinthreedecades.

AJatleadersaidprotestershadreachedadealwithstateandcentralgovernmentleaderstoendtheirmobilisation,inwhich16peoplehavebeenkilledandmorethan150injured.

"Thegovernmenthaspromisedtomeetourdemandsandwehavepromisedourfullcooperation,"RameshDalal,conveneroftheJatArakshanAndolan(JatReservationMovement),toldReuters.

Thousandsoftroopsweredeployedtoquelltheprotests,whichhadflaredagainonMondaynearSonipatwhenafreighttrainwastorched.InneighbouringRajasthan,Jatsattackedandburnedbuses.

Disruptionhasbeenhuge,with850trainscancelled,500factoriesclosedandbusinesslossesestimatedatasmuchas$5billionbyoneregionallobbygroup.

DalalsaidhehadappealedtotheentireJatcommunity,whichmakesupaquarterofthepopulationofHaryana,toreturnhome.Aseniorofficersaidstatepolicestillfacedachallengetomaintainlawandorder.

ThearmyearlieronMondayretookcontrolofacanalthatsuppliesthree-fifthsofthecapital'swater.Delhi'schiefminister,ArvindKejriwal,saidthearmyhadreopenedthesluicegatesoftheMunakcanaltothenorthofthecity.WaterwasexpectedtoreachthemetropolisbyearlyTuesday.