After robust and heartfelt celebration of independence on 15
August, 2015, hardly within a split of 10 days, Gujarat turned into a violent
and an ugly State. Traditionally Gujarat is known for peaceful and harmonious
atmosphere for trade and business barring notoriety for communal clashes at
times. However, there was absolute peace in Gujarat since about 13 years. All
that Gujarat had witnessed was a vibrant business friendly atmosphere.
But what happened on 25th & 26th August in various
cities, towns and villages of Gujarat was sensational and stupid. A mere
22 year old college pass out Hardik Patel calls for a rally demanding OBC
status for Patels, a caste traditionally powerful in economic and social contexts.
Rally gets tremendous support from the community and lakhs of patels gather in
the economic capital of Gujarat, Ahmedabad. On the evening of 25th August,
after the arrest of Hardik Patel, Police and the protesters got into scuffle
and then the whole of the State paid the price for it. Agitated people burnt
numerous buses and public places including bus stands and police stations. The
violence saw deaths of at least 8 including police personnel.
Interestingly, Hardik Patel and team has not even referred to
an Application being made to the National Commission for Backward Castes (NCBC)
for inclusion of Patels in the OBC category. Was an application ever made to
the NCBC? Has the NCBC conducted survey and submitted its report to the Union
Government? Has any decision been taken by the Union Government regarding OBC
status of Patels considering the report of NCBC, if any? Why is the State
Government being targeted, though it has no role to play in the conferment or
non-conferment of OBC status on Patels? There is also no clarity as to whether
the agitation is for inclusion of Patels or exclusion of others from the OBC
category? None of these pertinent issues have been addressed by Hardik and Co.
I don't intend to enter into the debate of whether Patels
should be given reservation benefits by including them in OBC category or
whether the current reservation system has outlived its time and it needs a
paradigm shift from socially backward to economically backward considerations.
Patels getting or not getting reservation benefits may be a non-issue in some
time. Hardik Patel's name may also be forgotten. Much more important, relevant
and grave is my concern about Gujarat and India.
Those images of buses, cars, jeeps, police stations and other
public places being burnt to ashes cannot be washed off the memory lanes so
easily. At the same time, the scenes of police beating up civilians and
breaking their cars can also not be forgotten.
When a man from Gujarat is telling the whole world in the
most emphatic terms to trust India as a safe haven for investments and is
inviting them all to invest in India, we have just about tarnished the image of
our nation. We have yet again shown that India hasn't risen above the internal
conflicts. When Gujarat itself is witnessing such horrific incidents, why
should anyone believe Modi. There was a forced shutdown on 26th August in
Gujarat. Is this the Gujarat model our PM is so proudly flaunting?
Modi was elected as PM only after the nation was convinced
that Modi's Gujarat is peaceful, business friendly, ever developing and does
not indulge in non-sense. That said everything about Modi's governance. During
his Chief Ministership, Gujarat developed like never before. Modi undoubtably
played an efficient and admirable administrator, but it also implied the
support of the 5 crore gujaratis, as he would fondly say.
The events that happened in Gujarat on 25th and 26th August
are disgraceful and foul. Whether a certain community deserves to be granted
reservation is certainly worth discussing, but the liberty cannot extend to
giving a few people free reigns to destroy, demolish and burn public properties
and offices under the garb of agitation. They have no right to do so. Those
acts are dastard and condemnable. Even more condemnable is the fact that the
leader of the agitation, Hardik Patel took pride in what Gujarat was turned
into by his supporters. He went on to say that he would take control of the
situation only if the demands were accepted which unambiguously indicated that
he had held the State for ransom. Such a leader should have been thrown away
that very moment.
These events are deplorable and deprecable. They show Gujarat
and most importantly India in bad light. Admitting mistakes committed by all
during these 2 days will help little, but it might help us exercise self
restraint next time a like issue crops up. No caste, no community can progress
alone. Divide is to everyone's detriment.
Jay Hind.
PS: I have nothing against Patels or their reservation
demands. I am not included in the reserved categories, nor do I ever intend to
be included. Have at least as much faith in my capabilities that I surely don't
need reservation.