Hardik Patel detained, mobile internet banned in Gujarat

Bans mobile internet and SMS services in the major cities of the state

Following the detention of Patidar community leader Hardik Patel in Surat on Saturday morning, the Gujarat government announced a ban on mobile internet and SMS services in major cities, including Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot and Mehsana.

Patel, the 22-year-old convener of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), along with 35 others, was detained from Mangadh Chowk in Varachha area for trying to take out an ‘Ekta Yatra’, despite denial of permission by authorities.

Surat Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana said, “The police detained Hardik Patel and his supporters to control law and order, as they did not take any permission for the rally from state authorities.”

Patel was, however, released on Saturday evening. Earlier in the day, Patidar community members had threatened to call for a Gujarat bandh on Sunday if Hardik Patel wasn’t released.

The Patidar community has been holding protests, demanding reservation under the other backward class category.

The ban on mobile internet and SMS ranges from 24 hours to 36 hours in various parts of the state. In a notification, the Ahmedabad police banned mobile internet and group messages in the city for 36 hours, while the Surat police suspended these services for 24 hours.

“To control law and order in the city, we have decided to restrict mobile internet and group messages, as the city had suffered during the Patidar agitation on August 25 because of the spread of false reports through mobile messaging,” said Shivanand Jha, commissioner, Ahmedabad Police.

On Saturday, members of the Patidar community attempted to block national and state highways, in opposition to Patel’s detention. Women members of the community held protests in Surat and Morbi.

The Patidar agitation, however, seem to be developing cracks, with certain sections of the community alleging Patel hadn’t informed them about the march.

“He is publicity-hungry and is carrying out activities for some selfish motives. He has done it in the past and on Saturday, he decided to take out the march in Surat despite no permission from authorities, without taking other convenors into confidence,” said A K Patel, PAAS district convenor, Visnagar.

Experts say gradually, the agitation is turning fragmented. “The Patidar agitation is heading towards fragmentation. There is no unity seen within the community. Many Patidar leaders are now critical and sceptical of the way Hardik Patel is leading this agitation,” said Achyut Yagnik, a city-based social scientist and founder secretary of the Centre for Social Knowledge and Action.

Arjun Modhwadia, senior Gujarat Congress leader, agreed. “The agitation is now directionless. However, on its part, the government is also failing to gain the confidence of people,” he said.

Hardik Patel drew flak for deciding to hold the march despite the state government inviting PAAS leaders for talks and seeking a 10-day window for working out possible solutions. Political analysts, however, felt the state government could have tried to pacify different communities in various ways, instead of detaining Patel and announcing ban on mobile internet and SMS services for the second time in a month.

“This is not just a law and order problem, but a structural one, which calls for political acumen from the government. The government partly handled the agitation well by inviting Patidar leaders for talks, but it could have done more to pacify different communities instead of merely curbing communication,” said Vidyut Joshi, a political analyst.

Fearing a repeat of the violence that gripped the state on August 25 and 26, the police has been put on high alert, with additional forces from the Border Security Force and the Central Reserve Police Force deployed in Ahmedabad, Mehsana, Surat, etc. Following a PAAS-led rally in Ahmedabad last month, most instances of violence were reported from these regions.

On his part, Hardik Patel blamed the Gujarat government. “The Gujarat government wants to muzzle our voice. They want to harass us. The government and the state police want violence in the state. This act (detention) is against the spirit of democracy,” he said.

Earlier, he had announced he would hold to take out a ‘reverse Dandi Yatra’ from Dandi in Navsari district to Sabarmati in Ahmedabad.