One of the underlying issues of the country that erupt from time to time is the incessant hassle cast over by the statutes of reservation.
This time, the Patidar community of Gujarat, both Leuva and Kadva have voiced their need for reservation under the Other Backward Caste category. More than 10,000 Patidars from Mansa district launched a rally in the state capital, earlier last month. Local BJP leader Mahesh Patel siod, “Patidars from 38 villages and Mansa town took part in the rally and submitted charter of demands to the Mansa Mamlatdar.” He justified the demand saying, “We need OBC status so that our children can get reservation in education and jobs. All Patidars are not well off. Many do not get benefits from the government. In coming days we will take up the issue on a bigger scale.”
The issue quickly escalated as their next rally in Visnagar district took a turn for the worse and violence ensued. The state government attempted to push down the agitation for OBC status and reservation, as Mehsana police cancelled the permission for a Patel rally to take place by the end of July. Manoj Patel, a district youth BJP president and convenor of the IT cell said the government had also declined permission for rallies planned in other places in north Gujarat, Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad.
“Permission has been denied by the state government for other rallies planned through July and August but we will go ahead with our plans,” he said. He resigned from the BJP following the arrest of top leaders of the Samast Patidar Anamat Vanchit Samiti that had organized the bloodied rally. “We will not bow before any political pressure. On July 28, more than 25,000 Patidar youth will gather and resign from the BJP. We are being pressurized to withdraw our demands but we are firm on our stand.”
A strong undercurrent of the Patidar community's aggressive demand for reservation was felt in Gandhinagar. BJP party president RC Faldu and general secretary Bhikhubhai Dalsaniya held a meeting with top BJP leaders of north Gujarat at party headquarters in Kamalam. “I have not yet come across a resignation by a BJP leader,” Faldu said. “We had a meeting to discuss the party's ongoing Mahasampark Abhiyaan and issues related to upcoming local body elections. We have not discussed the Patidar's OBC reservation demand.” Key BJP office-bearers claim that there was no mention of the quota demand at the meeting.
Unfazed by the government's strong stand against the demand, leaders of the Patel community announced that they will organise public rallies in major districts of Gujarat to demand Other Backward Class (OBC) status and benefits of reservation under it in government jobs. Hardik Patel, member of the Patidar Anamat Samit, gave an ultimatum to Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel saying, “The Patel community remained deprived of its rights since four decades and neither the BJP nor the Congress improved our condition.”
“Despite our representations to mamlatdars of various talukas, they did not consider our demands. We are giving an ultimatum to fulfil our demands before the 2017 assembly elections. Otherwise they will make a promise to fulfil it and then put our demand on the backburner after the election. In other states including Uttar Pradesh, Patels get reservation as OBCs. If the Chief Minister will not listen to us, then we will say that even she failed to satisfy our demands,” Patel said.
“Massive public rallies will be organised in places like Himmatnagar on August 3, in Gandhinagar on August 3, in Rajkot on August 5 in Vadodara on August 13 and in Surat on August 18.”
