Low Caste battles for the Right to be "Untouchables"

India's centuries-old controversy over caste and discrimination brought parts of Delhi to a halt yesterday as thousands of members of an ethnic group demanded that their official status be lowered in order to provide them with better access to jobs and education. Members of the Gujjar tribe blocked major roads and highways into Delhi in sit-down protests and set fire to tyres as they vowed to create gridlock across India's capital and the surrounding area.

Some train services were suspended and many IT and outsourcing companies with offices in Delhi's satellite cities sent staff home early. In some locations, police fired tear gas at the stone-throwing demonstrators. "This will go on until our demands are met," Surjit Singh, a Gujjar protester who was standing in front of hundreds of cars, told reporters.

According to Indian law, the Gujjars Ð many of whom live in the nearby desert state of Rajasthan Ð are classified as belonging to the country's second-lowest group, known as Other Backward Classes (OBC).

In the complex, divisive system this category is one step up from the lowest level known as Scheduled Tribes and Castes (STC) otherwise known as Dalits, or "Untouchables".

The Gujjars say they have been discriminated against in terms of jobs, health care and education Ð particularly in Rajasthan Ð but say that by being reclassified as STC they will be eligible for government positions and university places that are reserved for that group.

The Indian government reserves about half of all seats in state colleges and universities for lower castes and tribal groups Ð a massive affirmative-action plan it says is designed to counter centuries of discrimination. Many have criticised the quota system, however, saying that it accentuates caste differences at a time when India is seeking to modernise and develop economically and socially.

A government panel that was set up to look into the Gujjars' claims, recommended that a £40m aid package be set aside for their community but ruled out reclassifying the tribe. That plan has not satisfied the Gujjars.