Kirori Singh Bainsla

Kirori Singh was born to Bacchu Singh Bainsla and Dhupi Devi in village Mundia, about 30km from Hindaun, Rajasthan. He had two older brothers and a younger sister. As a young child, he attended the local village school in Mundia and matriculated from [https://msjcollege.in/ MSJ College, Bharatpur]. He graduated from Maharaja College, Jaipur with a Bachelor of Arts.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}

As per prevailing traditions, Bainsla married at the young age of 14 to Resham (Hindi: रेशम) of village Deolen (Hindi: देवलिन), around 12km from Mundia. She was sarpanch of Mundia at the time of her demise on 16 November 1996. They have a daughter and three sons.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}

In 1960, Kirori Singh Bainsla started teaching English at the Government Multi Purpose Higher Secondary School{{Cite web |title=GOVT SR SEC GANGAPUR CITY W-31 - Np Ggc_ward No. 31, District Sawai Madhopur (Rajasthan) |url=https://schools.org.in/sawai-madhopur/08100321203/govt-sr-sec-gangapur-city-w-31.html |access-date=2022-07-13 |website=schools.org.in |language=en}} in Gangapur City, Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan. Following in the footsteps of his father who served in the British Indian Army and two older brothers already enlisted, Kirori Bainsla joined the Indian Army in 1962. Being ineligible for joining as a commissioned officer due to his marital status, Bainsla enlisted as a sepoy. It is speculated that his military background enabled him to organise the Gurjar agitation movement with precision and on the large scale which characterized it.

Bainsla fought in the Sino-Indian war of 1962 and received an emergency commission as a second lieutenant on 2 August 1964.{{cite news |date=5 March 1966 |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=140 |publisher=The Gazette of India |url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1966/O-1662-1966-0010-75786.pdf}} As an infantry officer in the Guards regiment, he fought in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and became a prisoner of war. Promoted to lieutenant on 2 August 1966,{{cite news |date=9 September 1967 |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=692 |publisher=The Gazette of India |url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1967/O-1610-1967-0036-72676.pdf}} Bainsla received a regular commission as a Second Lieutenant on 1 April 1970 (seniority from 20 January 1966), with promotion to Lieutenant from the same date (seniority from 20 January 1968).{{cite news |date=18 December 1971 |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1497 |publisher=The Gazette of India |url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1971/O-1357-1971-0051-60883.pdf}} Dubbed the "Rock of Gibraltar" by his seniors in the army, Bainsla was promoted to captain on 20 January 1972 and to major on 20 January 1979.{{cite news |date=17 June 1972 |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=885 |publisher=The Gazette of India |url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1972/O-1320-1972-0025-58825.pdf}}{{cite news |date=13 December 1980 |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1421 |publisher=The Gazette of India |url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1980/O-1000-1980-0050-44618.pdf}} On 3 April 1988, now in the Indian Army Pioneer Corps, Bainsla was promoted to lieutenant colonel by selection,{{cite news |date=22 December 1990 |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1901 |publisher=The Gazette of India |url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1990/O-2466-1990-0051-112608.pdf}} denoting him as an officer suitable for higher command. He however voluntarily took early retirement from the Army on 10 June 1991, transferring to the reserves.{{cite news |date=26 September 1992 |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1717 |publisher=The Gazette of India |url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1992/O-0470-1992-0039-18774.pdf}}

During the agitation movement of 2008, Bainsla once said_, "Only a bullet or a letter (granting the demands) can remove me from here." He said that one of the reasons he was engaged in this cause was because his children are settled and so he could think of his "greater family".

Post retirement, Bainsla moved to his native village and began holding small meetings, attending large social gatherings, and addressing the community on the need for educating the children. He spoke against the prevalent practice of child marriage, exhorted women to educate their daughters, and motivated youngsters to prepare for competitive examinations. He spoke against extravagant expenditure, and of making a debt free society. His much acclaimed slogan "Good Health, Good Education, Educated Mothers and a Debt Free Society" resonated well with people within the community. In his social meetings in the rural areas of Rajasthan, Bainsla would often speak on the value of education by asking "How many people take a book or magazine or newspaper back home in the evening for their families to read?".

File:COL BAINSLA.jpg

File:Bainsla-family-photograph-circa-1981.jpgBainsla was a well read person with a passion for reading and collecting books. Even during the agitation movement, he could be seen reading a book by the train tracks.

{{Quote box

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| quote = Most of our people are illiterate and living in abject poverty. We want better opportunities. For 12 years, I moved from pillar to post crying hoarse with the demands, but the government never listened. So we had to resort to direct action. As a backward class, we have to compete with 123 caste groups for 27 percent of government jobs. Our turn never comes. But as a tribe, we would fight only 15 other groups for about 7 percent of jobs. So it is more beneficial to be called a tribe.

| source = Kirori Singh in an interview with the Washington Post explained why he demanded scheduled tribe status.

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In Rajasthan, Gurjars are officially part of communities that fall under the Other backward castes (OBC) category. However, benefits are mostly availed by other well educated communities in the OBC category. Bainsla believed that Gurjars were eligible to be recognized as a Scheduled Tribe as per the prevalent criteria and that inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe category would provide educational and employment benefits to the Gurjar community. During the initial days he was marked as "mad man" by his own community for raising such a demand.{{cite web|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-dubbed-mad-by-his-own-is-now-a-mass-leader-1168659|title=Dubbed as mad man by his own Bainsala rise to become mass leader|website=DNA|accessdate=1 October 2023}}

In 2007, he withdrew the demand for ST status for Gurjars after talks with the Rajasthan Government. However, some sections of the community felt betrayed and accused him of being an agent of the government. In 2008, he renewed the call for ST status, and a new wave of Gurjar protests have since captured the attention of the whole country and put Rajasthan on standstill.{{cite news |date=30 May 2008 |title=A politically wiser Bainsala |publisher=in.news.yahoo.com |url=http://in.news.yahoo.com/hindustantimes/20080530/r_t_ht_nl_features/tnl-a-politically-wiser-bainsala-6b6720b.html |accessdate=13 June 2008}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}} Some media outlets have accused other Gurjar leaders of hypocrisy for their alleged lavish lifestyles, but Bainsla largely avoided these accusations.{{cite news |date=13 June 2008 |title=Lavish in protest |work=The Indian Express |publisher= |url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/lavish-in-protest/322017/ |accessdate=13 June 2008}}

Bainsla was the man behind and the creator of the [https://sje.rajasthan.gov.in/Schemes/DevnarayanScheme.pdf Devnarayan Yojna] - a government program for the upliftment of Banjara/Baldia/Labana, Gadia-Lohar/Gadalia, Gujjar/Gurjar, Raika/Rebari and Gadaria (Gaadri).{{Cite web |title=Devnarayan Scheme |url=https://sje.rajasthan.gov.in/Default.aspx?PageID=87 |access-date=2022-07-14 |website=sje.rajasthan.gov.in}} The Devnarayan Yojna focuses on imparting education, builds and operates residential schools and colleges, imparts felicitation to meritorious girl students, gives fully funded education to girl students from the classes of 6th onwards- all expenses of education, lodging and boarding are taken up by the Devnarayan Board for these students. He was instrumental in ensuring the opening of Primary Health Centers across the state to ensure medical facilities to the economically backward people in the rural hinterlands of Rajasthan. The Devnarayan Yojna has an approved financial budget outlay of Rs 1000 Crores by the government, which is now being extended to Rs 1500 Crores to take into account additional education and health facilities for the MBC in Rajasthan.{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}

Bainsla played an instrumental role in ensuring the opening of Primary Health Centers across the state to provide medical facilities to economically backward people in the rural hinterlands of Rajasthan. Some achievements of Bainsla's Devnarayan initiative that are directly impacting the community include scholarships, funding for education in residential schools, setting up schools and colleges, and the Scooty (mechanized two wheeler) award.

Based on information obtained from the Rajasthan state government, 787,194 and 356,305 students have availed themselves of the benefits of pre-metric and post-metric scholarships respectively. 14,359 students are studying under the Gurukul Yojna where education, lodging, and boarding are provided free of cost. Under the Scooty Yojna, girls who score over 75% in class 12 exams are awarded a Scooty, functioning as an incentive and a utility to pursue higher education. During the first year of the Scooty initiative (2011), 280 Scootys were awarded, 220 short of the allocation of 500 and the cut off merit percentage was reduced to 53%. In 2017, 1000 Scootys were awarded against 11,000 applications and the merit cut off was adjusted to over 80%. An additional 7,589 girl students were awarded consolation financial awards.{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}

1. 47 Student hostels given in rural and semi-urban locations to aid needy children to get quality education.
2. 2 Colleges have been built and are operational (1) Girls College at Bayana (2) Boys College at Nandauti.
3. 26 + 10 , 36 residential schools approved and under different stages of construction . These schools are operational under the RICE pattern where the students are admitted in class 6th and full education is provided until class 12th. Some operational schools are:
4. Devnarayan Girls Residential School, Suvana ( bhilwara )
5. Devnarayan Boys Residential School, Baleta ( alwar )
6. Devnarayan Boys Residential School, Chandapura ( jalore )
7. Devnarayan Girls Residential School, Hindoli ( bundi )
8. Devnarayan Girls Residential School, Devlen (karauli )
9. Devnarayan Girls Residential School, Yusufpura (tonk)
10. Devnarayan Girls Residential School, Macchipura (sawai madhopur)
11. Devnarayan Girls Residential School, Amarpur (dausa)
12. Dairy Plant at Khetri under construction, which will give additional means of livelihood to the community that is predominantly dependent on cattle and milk production.
13. Health: 192 Sub-Primary health centers made operational in these backward rural areas. 6 Mobile hospital units operational to bridge the gap between the sub primary and primary health center. 7 Primary health centers operational.

The prevalent OBC reservation prescribes a creamy layer process, wherein the OBC certificate is a prerequisite for availing reservation benefits. Only the incumbents who do not fall into the [http://www.ncbc.nic.in/Writereaddata/Supplementary%20Creamy%20Layer%20Report%20241115%20final%20at%20430PM%20Corrected%20by%2005052016%20page%20no15635980433155122719.pdf Creamy Layer] (annual income/assets /value above Rs 6 Lacs per annum) will be issued the [http://www.iitbbs.ac.in/documents/Prescribed-Format-for-OBC-Certificate.pdf OBC certificate] basis with which they can apply for the benefits of OBC reservation.

The "creamy layer" categorization is currently meant only for the OBCs and is not applicable to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The reasons cited for this parity is that the provisions for reservations for SC/ST are not for their economical benefits but for their social upliftment. Thus, SC/ST reservations are applicable irrespective of the financial status of the beneficiaries, which in other words means that even if the SC/ST is financially sound, they would get the benefits of reservation regardless.

In Rajasthan, 91 entries (by way of castes, their synonyms, sub-castes etc.) have been notified by the State Government in the [https://web.archive.org/web/20180602085951/http://sje.rajasthan.gov.in/oldpms/List%20of%20Castes/obc.htm State list of Other Backward Classes] (OBCs) in Rajasthan. In Rajasthan, the total reservation of 49% included 21% for OBC, 16% for SC (Scheduled Castes), and 12% for ST (Scheduled Tribes). The demand is for logical bifurcation of the 21% based on the population percentage for each OBC caste as the majority of the existing 21% is being availed by the few strong and robust castes in Rajasthan, and the economically backward castes do not get the relevant benefits of OBC reservation. [http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=171331 The Justice Rohini Commission] has been empowered to look into the bifurcation of the OBC by the center under article 340 of the constitution.

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| quote = We had a meeting with the minister. We have asked for a written assurance from the government that it will take necessary steps if the bill fails to stand on its feet. Congress had promised a five percent quota in the election manifesto and not a bill. Tomorrow, the government will provide us a draft document after which we will take further decision. Till then, dharna will continue.

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In February 2019, the community again protested by blocking the Delhi-Mumbai Rail route at Malarna Dungar, Sawai Madhopur by demanding a 5% quota after Congress came to power in Rajasthan. During this agitation, the Government of Rajasthan passed the bill in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly granting 5% reservation exclusively to Gurjar, Gadia Lohar, Banjara, Rebari, and Gadaria communities within the state. This 5% reservation is applicable to education and state government appointments.

Kirori Singh Bainsla contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections from the Tonk–Sawai Madhopur Lok Sabha constituency on the Bharatiya Janata Party ticket, securing a total of 375,255 votes, losing by 317 votes to Namo Narain Meena.

Bainsla was appointed the lifetime founder chairman of the Society for the Upliftment of Youth and other Groups (SUYOG), registered in 2013 under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. SUYOG aims to promote education and create awareness about employment opportunities.

[http://www.bainslafoundation.org Colonel Bainsla Foundation] is a trust registered under the societies registration act in the year 2018.

File:Col bainsla funeral procession.webm

File:Col Bainsla funeral procession, Sikandra.webm

Col Bainsla passed away on 31 March 2022 due to a prolonged illness. He was 82 years old. He was taken to a private hospital where doctors declared him brought dead, family sources said.[https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2022/03/31/kirori-singh-bainsla-gujjar-stir-leader-dies-at-85.amp.html Kirori Singh Bainsla, Gujjar stir leader, dies] He was cremated with military honors at his home village Mundia on 1 April 2022, with large numbers in attendance.{{Cite web |title=Understanding the Charismatic Personality of Gurjar Leader Kirori Singh Bainsla |url=https://thewire.in/politics/gurjar-leader-kirori-singh-bainsla-charisma-personality |access-date=2022-07-16 |website=The Wire}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://bainslafoundation.org Colonel Bainsla Foundation]

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Category:1940 births

Category:2022 deaths

Category:Indian Army officers

Category:Military personnel from Rajasthan

Category:People from Karauli district

Category:Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Rajasthan