Prof. Devaraju Maharaju The Origins of the Gujjars The region where the Gurjars or Gujjars settled eventually came to be known as Gujarat. Animal husbandry and agriculture were once their primary occupations. The term "Gurjars" does not refer to a single caste or religion. It is a broad group comprising people of various faiths and languages — among them Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs. They speak many languages, including Gojri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kashmiri, Punjabi, Urdu, Pashto, Haryanvi, Sindhi, Bhojpuri, Marathi, and Balochi. Beyond India, significant Gujjar populations are also found in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Within the community, Rajputs, Jats, Ahirs, and Indo-Aryans are all represented. There was once a Gurjar kingdom — around 570 CE — in the area that is now Rajasthan. The term "Gurjar" first appears in Banabhatta's Harshacharita , written around 630 CE. According to the accounts of Chinese travelers who visited India during the reign of Emperor Hars...
T.Chiranjeevulu IAS (Ret), President and Founder BCIF(BC Intellectuals Forum) On the occasion of Doddi Komaraiah's birth anniversary, the Telangana armed peasant struggle began on this very day. On April 3rd, 1946, he was martyred, and from that moment forward, the Telangana armed peasant struggle commenced and continued until 1951. This struggle was waged against feudalism and the tyranny of the Nizam in Telangana, during which 4,000 people lost their lives. Thousands of villages were liberated from feudal lords — primarily zamindars, deshmuks, deshpandes, and patwardis. Approximately ten lakh acres of land were redistributed through this movement. When we compare the social and economic conditions of Telangana then with those of today, we find that the exploitation which existed then continues in much the same form today. While the nature of exploitation has evolved and people now speak with somewhat greater freedom, the Backward Classes (BCs) remain completely marginali...