The jail bharo andolan (fill the jails agitation) by the Patidar (Patel) community on April 17 that turned violent is not only a resurgence of the reservation issue in Gujarat. Just when news flow was diminishing around the 22-year-old face of the Patidar quota stir, Hardik Patel, convenor of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), the recent spell has turned attention towards Lalji Patel, 40, of the other body active in the stir, the Sardar Patel Group (SPG).
The difference in ideology between SPG and PAAS are at times compared with those of Mahatma Gandhi and Bhagat Singh. One is "mature", the other is "aggressive". One led by a middle-aged farmer; the other identified by a hot-blooded youth whose fiery speeches can mobilise thousands of others.
While some in both groups do not wish to be differentiated, for fear of the stir losing its momentum, others insist on it. The entire agitation around reservation in education and jobs for Patidars has oscillated between PAAS and SPG. For some, this division runs deep in the whole fabric of the traditionally land-holding community, consisting of different categories such as Leuva, Kadva, Anjana and Kutchi, mostly based on socio-economic status. Ideological differences and ways of functioning have been pulling the agitation in different directions.
In the past, both have tried to claim credit for starting it all. PAAS, especially through Hardik Patel, has claimed the organisation was set up solely to fight for Patidar reservation. While SPG maintains the group was set up more than a decade earlier, to address several issues impacting the community, including the reservation issue.
"It was registered in 2004 as Sardar Patel Seva Dal in Mehsana, to address various issues the community faced, such as unemployed youth, farmers and unmarried girls. Within a decade, the group spread to other parts of the state. It was in 2014 that the group began making concerted efforts to push for reservation, in the wake of rising unemployment among the community youths," says Purvin Patel, one of the leaders at SPG.
The group has claimed it was instrumental in organising one of the first rallies under the agitation in 2014, which went unnoticed. It was in July 2015 when a set of 12 rallies were organised in and around Mehsana and the final one at Visnagar on July 23 had turned violent. That caught media and administration attention. By then, Hardik Patel and others who were part of SPG had broken away to form PAAS. Gaining momentum from there, in 55 days there were 149 rallies held by both SPG and PAAS.
It was the August 25 mega rally in Ahmedabad which catapulted Hardik Patel and PAAS to national attention. Hardik's detention at the GMDC grounds, the rally's venue, and police excess on the gathered crowd, led to violence and arson across the state. The administration then imposed a curfew and a ban on mobile services in several cities.
It was in the heat of the agitation that differences between SPG and PAAS emerged over Hardik Patel's provocative speeches. By then, national attention had been captured by the 22-year-old, leaving the older counterpart behind.
However, the recent agitation in Mehsana, which saw Lalji Patel and others getting injured during a clash with the police, brought others into the limelight. The police say they were forced to resort to a baton charge after some began pelting stones on them. Soon, curfew was imposed in Mehsana and mobile services suspended in Ahmedabad, Mehsana, Surat and Rajkot. Observers say with the likely arrest of Lalji Patel, currently in a hospital, the scales could shift in favour of the SPG leader.
In fact, some even see the recent agitation as an opportunist move to gain control of the reservation stir at a time when Hardik Patel is in jail on a sedition charge. "In Mehsana, Lalji Patel tried to reassert himself. With Hardik Patel in jail and inaction from the government in dissuading the protesting community, SPG might have seen this as a good opportunity to resurface," opines Achyut Yagnik, a social scientist.
Whether this works in favour of SPG in the long run is to be seen. However, the recent events have been a wake-up call for the state government, yet to come up with a discernible strategy on the reservation demands of a community that has historically been the backbone of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here. "So far, the government has shown neither strategy nor vision or policy in dealing with the issue. Simply putting people into jail won't work. It has been nine months since the agitation took momentum. If no concrete steps are taken, the government might face more such incidents," asserts Yagnik.
To its credit, the state government has held meetings directly or through mediators such as its own party persons from the community. The criticism has been around results. At least three to four major meetings have been held between the seven-member cabinet ministers' committee that was set up to look at the reservation issue and community leaders. Almost all were inconclusive.
Purvin Patel says in a meeting on March 11, the state had sought one month to come back with some concrete steps or announcements. "However, despite continually reminding them, there were no results in sight. That is when we decided to plan the jail bharo andolan. Talks with the government have been taking place for nine months but in vain," he says.
Even after the jail bharo andolan that ended violently. with PAAS calling for a state-wide bandh the next day, the state government met community leaders. However, the "fruitful" and "positive" meeting still ended inconclusively. The cabinet committee led by health minister and spokesperson Nitin Patel said the government would be reverting soon after discussions with Chief Minister Anandiben Patel and ruling party leaders.
However, the discussions seems to have revolved around the demand to release Hardik Patel from jail, rather than reservation. Community leaders said the government seemed positive on most of their demands. Among the main demands made to the government by the PAAS and SPG groups were release of Hardik Patel, withdrawal of charges on Patel youths and reservation for Patidars.
PAAS leaders have said the focus would continue to be to press for reservation and mobilise the community further. "Whoever is talking about different ideologies between PAAS and SPG has been intending to create a rift to derail the agitation. Both groups have only one agenda and that is to seek reservation for Patidars. We are no one's enemies and will continue to take Mahatma Gandhi's path to fight for our rights," maintains Pragnesh Patel, one of the PAAS leaders.
PATIDAR AGITATION
-
July 6, 2015: Agitation kicked off by Sardar Patel Group (SPG), with first set of 12 rallies
-
July 23, 2015: 12th rally at Visnagar turns violent, gets media attention
