June 03, 2008 20:50 IST
A pal of gloom descended at Karwadi in Rajasthan as the bodies of the victims of Gujjar agitation were consigned to flames on Tuesday after 12 days, even as leader K S Bainsala, who is spearheading the stir, said that protests would continue.
After postmortem, five bodies were cremated today afternoon with Bainsala lighting the funeral pyre, followed by the relatives.
People wailed as the coffins were carried from the tent to the Piloopura side of the blocked rail tracks for the last rites.
The coffins were carried across the track amid resounding voices of Veer Shaheed Amar Raho.
Talking to PTI, Bainsala said, "There is no question of withdrawing from the agitation. It will continue. It was our duty to pay our last respects to our men. We did it. And this is the time to fulfill what they gave their lives for."
Locals brought cow dung cakes, ghee and wooden logs in tractor trolleys, men jostled with each other to pay their respects and slogans in praise of the dead filled the air.
On the postmortem report, Bainsala said the bodies bore rifle shots and added that he was yet to receive a copy of the report.
Responding to Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's proposal for talks, he said, "A conducive environment has to be created and a letter recommending Scheduled Tribe status for Gujjars should be sent to the Centre first. The compensation to the victims' family is a subsequent matter."
