Gujarat OBCs warn BJP govt: Don't heed Patidar demand for reservation, lest you will be thrown out of power

By Hitesh Chavda
If things move the way they are moving, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Gujarat is heading for a major confrontation between upper caste reservationists and other backward castes (OBCs). This seemed clear enough from the well-represented OBC rally in Ahmedabad on Sunday, which warned the Patidars, wanting an OBC status, that their demand would not be taken “lightly”.
Held amidst loud slogans of "OBC zindabad, Dalit zindabad, Adivasi zindabad", the OBC leaders, mainly numerically strong Thakores, told the participants in the rally that " if Patidars come in their way they would not keep quiet” but “hit back.”
Claiming to have the support of Dalits and Adivasis in their fight to keep their OBC reservation status, which is 27 per cent in Gujarat, a senior OBC leader said, “Let him come and live a few days in Gujarat. He would know that his Gujarat has changed.”
“The OBCs are only following Dr BR Ambedkar”, he claimed, announcing, “We will go with our mission to districts and talukas.” Equating the condition of OBCs with that of the Dalits, he said, “Just like Dalits, we are not allowed equal housing rights. Like Dalits, we are also looked down upon.”
Alpesh Thakore, who was the chief organizer of the rally, in which around 15,000 OBCs participated, warned the BJP government that if it allows Patidars with OBC status, they should be prepared to face the worst. “In the forthcoming 2017 assembly elections, we will ensure that they do not return to power”, he added.
The OBC rally comes just two days ahead of the Patidars’ reservation rally, scheduled for August 25. Already, the OBCs have formed dozens of Save Reservation Committees across Gujarat in order to counter the Patidars’ tough demand for OBC status.

Last Friday, the Patidars held a reservation rally in Vadodara where over one lakh are reported to have participated. Earlier, Patidars held well-attended rallies with the participation of three lakh people in Surat and one lakh people in Patan.
According to OBC leaders, the Patidars constitute only 12 per cent of the population in Gujarat, and have always been upper castes and cannot be included in other category under any circumstances or any pressure.
“We will not allow our quota for OBCs to be cut for any other community,” said Alpesh Thakor, leader of the Save Reservation Committee. “The situation is volatile and will spill into clashes if the government does not intervene and control it,” he added.
In Gujarat, there are over 146 castes, including over a dozen Muslim castes, which have been recognized as OBCs. Well-known Dalit rights activist Martin Macwan believes, the way things are moving in Gujarat, things would move in a violent confrontation. “This is what I am afraid of”, he said, adding, “Unfortunately, people have increasingly begun thinking in terms of caste, which is very dangerous.”
Other experts say, the current agitation might turn into a violent OBC-upper caste clashes, as they happened during the Congress rule of Madhavsinh Solanki, who introduced reservation benefits for OBCs based on recommendations of Bakshii commission, which recognised 81 communities as socially and economically backward. Subsequently, others governments kept adding more communities in the list.
Solanki, who came to power riding on an alliance between Kshatriyas, Harijans, Adivasis sone as many as 149 of 182 assembly seats in the state assembly, highest ever. Among Kshatriyas he included both upper caste Rajputs and OBC Thakores, a community to which he belonged, and which are descendents of the foot soldiers in the pre-independence era, and Kolis, a fishing community along the coastline.
According to National Sample Survey Organization data, OBCs, who also include several other smaller communities as well, forms about 40 per cent of Gujarat’s population.

Comments

Grueling summer ahead: Cuttack’s alarming health trends and what they mean for Odisha

By Sudhansu R Das The preparation to face the summer should begin early in Odisha. People in the state endure long, grueling summer months starting from mid-February and extending until the end of October. This prolonged heat adversely affects productivity, causes deaths and diseases, and impacts agriculture, tourism and the unorganized sector. The social, economic and cultural life of the state remains severely disrupted during the peak heat months.

Stronger India–Russia partnership highlights a missed energy breakthrough

By N.S. Venkataraman* The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India was widely publicized across several countries and has attracted significant global attention. The warmth with which Mr. Putin was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was particularly noted, prompting policy planners worldwide to examine the implications of this cordial relationship for the global economy and political climate. India–Russia relations have stood on a strong foundation for decades and have consistently withstood geopolitical shifts. This is in marked contrast to India’s ties with the United States, which have experienced fluctuations under different U.S. administrations.

From natural farming to fair prices: Young entrepreneurs show a new path

By Bharat Dogra There have been frequent debates on agro-business companies not showing adequate concern for the livelihoods of small farmers. Farmers’ unions have often protested—generally with good reason—that while they do not receive fair returns despite high risks and hard work, corporate interests that merely process the crops produced by farmers earn disproportionately high profits. Hence, there is a growing demand for alternative models of agro-business development that demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting farmer livelihoods.

The Vande Mataram debate and the politics of manufactured controversy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The recent Vande Mataram debate in Parliament was never meant to foster genuine dialogue. Each political party spoke past the other, addressing its own constituency, ensuring that clips went viral rather than contributing to meaningful deliberation. The objective was clear: to construct a Hindutva narrative ahead of the Bengal elections. Predictably, the Lok Sabha will likely expunge the opposition’s “controversial” remarks while retaining blatant inaccuracies voiced by ministers and ruling-party members. The BJP has mastered the art of inserting distortions into parliamentary records to provide them with a veneer of historical legitimacy.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

The cost of being Indian: How inequality and market logic redefine rights

By Vikas Gupta We, the people of India, are engaged in a daily tryst—read: struggle—for basic human rights. For the seemingly well-to-do, the wish list includes constant water supply, clean air, safe roads, punctual public transportation, and crime-free neighbourhoods. For those further down the ladder, the struggle is starker: food that fills the stomach, water that doesn’t sicken, medicines that don’t kill, houses that don’t flood, habitats at safe distances from polluted streams or garbage piles, and exploitation-free environments in the public institutions they are compelled to navigate.

Why India must urgently strengthen its policies for an ageing population

By Bharat Dogra A quiet but far-reaching demographic transformation is reshaping much of the world. As life expectancy rises and birth rates fall, societies are witnessing a rapid increase in the proportion of older people. This shift has profound implications for public policy, and the need to strengthen frameworks for healthy and secure ageing has never been more urgent. India is among the countries where these pressures will intensify most sharply in the coming decades.

Thota Sitaramaiah: An internal pillar of an underground organisation

By Harsh Thakor* Thota Sitaramaiah was regarded within his circles as an example of the many individuals whose work in various underground movements remained largely unknown to the wider public. While some leaders become visible through organisational roles or media attention, many others contribute quietly, without public recognition. Sitaramaiah was considered one such figure. He passed away on December 8, 2025, at the age of 65.

Proposals for Babri Masjid, Ram Temple spark fears of polarisation before West Bengal polls

By A Representative A political debate has emerged in West Bengal following recent announcements about plans for new religious structures in Murshidabad district, including a proposed mosque to be named Babri Masjid and a separate announcement by a BJP leader regarding the construction of a Ram temple in another location within Behrampur.

Search This Blog