Law and order has collapsed for a number of days in Haryana. 19 people were killed, public property and private establishments were badly damaged as Jat protesters and other caste groups in the state went on a rampage. Thousands of crores of rupees went down the drain. The Haryana government showed singular inactivity. The Police looked away, presumably because a large number of them belonged to the Jat community. Senior police officials could not act as the state government did not give them any orders. Violence spread to such an extent that the state government had to call in the army within 24 hours which was also precipitate action. The main reason for the total chaos was the inexperience of the chief minister, Manoharlal Khattar and others in the cabinet showed equal ineptitude. Haryana is one of the most important states in the country, bordering Delhi. Train services from New Delhi were partially disrupted for a day or two. The BJP had failed to hold fruitful talks with the Jat community agitating about the Jat quota and so a number of districts in the state witnessed considerable violence. How long such anarchy will continue is anybody’s guess.
It is evident that the Centre would have reacted much more firmly if Haryana did not have a BJP government. Khattar has visited many countries to invite investment for his state which is very pro-industry. It has Gurgaon, one of the industrial showpieces of the country. A global investor summit is expected to be held in the state on March 7. But the continuing chaos in the state must have sapped investors’ confidence in the region.
