Give the Patel community reservation, scream agitated Patidars! The demand for this has led to extreme violence overnight in many parts of Gujrat. Surat was struck by agitation and educational institutions were kept closed, stated the officials.
A rally led by Hardik Patel, a 22 year old man, collected at the GMDC ground in Ahmedabad in protest, and almost half a million people demanded reservation for one of the most respected and prosperous “Patidar” caste of Gujrat. The Patidars contribute about 12% of the Gujrati population and with the constant reservation policies being updated the Patidar population are feeling targeted by the less privileged classes who get through into universities and jobs.
The rally was organized without permission of the authorities and the people demanded the Patidar caste to be recognized in OBC category. Patel had gone overboard threatening a fall in the 2017 assembly polls for the BJP Government in Gujrat if their plea went unheard.
Talking about the BJP’s party symbol, Patel commented “If you do not give our right (reservation), we will snatch it. Whoever will talk of interest of Patels will rule over Patels. In 1985, we had uprooted Congress from Gujarat, today there is BJP. 2017 (state election year) is coming…lotus will not bloom in the mud, it will never bloom. If you will talk about our interest then only we will nurture your lotus,” he stated to the agitated crowds.
Hardik Patel refused to break the fast until he got a memorandum in tune with their demands, from the Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel. The State authorities ruled against the request of the Patidars and this started an agitation. Unrest was felt by the State in the past few weeks but the rally was the culminating point.
Besides a security cover of almost 20,000 security men the rally went out of control. Hardik, convener of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, encouraged a hunger strike with three of his colleagues, and after the rally in the State he was apprehended by the Police. The rally consisting of almost half a million people went aggressively haywire and the angry agitated people ended up torching vehicles and buses, showing they were furious at the arrest of their leader.
Asking for a State wide Band on Wednesday and pleading his community to calm down, Hardik has stated “I make a
n appeal to maintain peace and keep calm. I give a call for Gujarat bandh tomorrow. This decision has been taken by Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti considering widespread violence in the state.”
Kapodara and Sarthana in Surat are facing a curfew after the agitated rally activity. Surat, Mehsana, Rajkot, and other areas in the interior are also caught in the grip of this violence and this led to the deployment of State Reserve Police Force, Rapid Action Force, and BSF in Mehsana and Ahmedabad. State authorities have already ruled out granting the Patidars’ request, but their campaign has evidently gathered pace in recent weeks. The Centre has provided Gujrat with additional forces to handle the disturbances.
