'Please take my truck's tyre and get me some food'

The turmoil over the reservation issue in the state has hit truck drivers hard.

Stranded on NH 11 for the last five days, the truck drivers are finding it tough to meet their daily needs.

Besides running short of money, they are also facing crisis of basic needs like food and water. Some have also taken to begging.

When this correspondent visited the NH-11 on Saturday morning, Malqeet Singh, a truck driver stopped the PTI vehicle near Seemla village, about 60 km from Dausa, and pleaded, "Please take my truck's tyre and get me some food."

Expressing anger over the ongoing caste conflict situation in Rajasthan, he said: "Media and the local administration are concerned about Meenas and Gujjars, but no one has offered us any assistance."

However, the drivers and conductors of RSRTC buses, which were set ablaze on NH 11 have taken help of local villagers as they are getting food from them but are seen sleeping in the farms in nearby areas.

There are dozens of truck drivers who have claimed that they are not able to get food and water and petrol pump workers are their only hope.

"They are feeding us once in day," said Raju Meharia, a truck driver from Jhunjhunu.

Meanwhile, locals in Dausa are praying to God that life gets back to normal.

Kunjilal, a garment shop owner, said: "Earlier, we had threats from Gujjar community and now Meenas have entered into the battle. It is surprising that Army deployed in Dausa has not yet intervened.""

Similarly the district administration has ordered the 'black out' of the cable network, claimed one local cable operator.

"They feel news channels are actually provoking Meenas and Gujjars," he said.