Anti-Vibrant Gujarat protest fizzles out with arrest of Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani, farmer activist Sagar Rabari

Mevani supporters detained at Adalaj

By A Representative
Anti-Narendra Modi protest against the Vibrant Gujarat world business summit, planned by top Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani with last-hour help of Sagar Rabari of the Khedut Samaj Gujarat, a non-political farmers' organizations, fizzled out on Tuesday, with the detention of the two leaders. A dozen of their supporters were also detained at Adalaj, the spot "fixed" for starting the protest.
The two leaders were picked up from the residence at about 7 am in the morning, much before they could start their journey to reach the spot where the protest was to begin – Adalaj, about 10 kilometres from the Mahatma Mandir in Gujarat capital, Gandhinagar,where the Vibrant Gujarat business meet began on Tuesday.
Mevani, after taking Rabari's support, had announced on Monday that he would “disrupt” the high profile business summit. The Patels' pro-quota organization owing allegiance to young leader Hardik Patel, Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, also declared support to Mevani.
The Vibrant Gujarat summit was inaugurated by the Prime Minister at Mahatma Mandir. There was strong police picket along all roads leading to Gandhinagar, anticipating the protest. Opposition political parties, including Congress and Aam Aadmi Party, kept themselves away from the move to disrupt the summit.
The two leaders were taken to the Gujarat University police station. Mevani had announced at that he, along with Rabari and other supporters, would start their protest at 12 noon to reach the Vibrant Summit site.
The police claimed they arrested the two leaders – convener of the Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch and general secretary of the Khedut Samaj Gujarat, respectively – for “violation” of the police commissioner’s notification under section-144 of CrPC, which prohibits rally or any public meeting of more than four persons.
The detentions took place following sharp differences surfacing between two main leaders who had planned to protest against the Vibrant Gujarat business summit – Alpesh Thakore, who has emerged as a top other backward caste (OBC) mobilizer in the recent past, and Mevani.
First Thakore went ahead with a separate rally early this month in Ahmedabad against the Gujarat government's “failure” to give employment to local people. Then, following talks with government officials, he declared his decision to withdraw his support to Mevani, as was “assured” that Gujaratis would get 85 per cent reservation in jobs.
This invited ire from the Dalit leadership, which wondered whether he was “afraid” of being arrested or there was some secret agreement with the state government.
On being detained, Mevani, in a WhatsApp message, said he had been “arrested by Gujarat police for announcing to disrupt the vibrant Gujarat summit”, which he termed “a fraud”. He added, farmers', Patidar leader and Dalits leaders all have been arrested.
He further said, there is “no scope” of doing any peaceful demonstration here in Gujarat, of asking Modi how many jobs he had create through these vibrant Gujarat summits. If one asks him why fertile land of farmers was being handed over to industries, one would be dubbed “anti-development”, he added.
Mevani wondered, whether land was available for "business groups and corporate giants, but not for Dalits and tribals, or other landless people." Mevani and Rabari were released at 10.00 pm at night.
In a separate development, around 100 fixed pay employees working with state government offices were detained in Gandhinagar as they tried to organize protest against the Vibrant Gujarat summit.

Comments

Why Venezuela govt granting amnesty to political prisoners isn't a sign of weakness

By Guillermo Barreto On 20 May 2017, during a violent protest planned by sectors of the Venezuelan opposition, 21-year-old Orlando Figuera was attacked by a mob that accused him of being a Chavista. After being stabbed, he was doused with gasoline and set on fire in front of everyone present. Young Orlando was admitted to a hospital with multiple wounds and burns covering 80 percent of his body and died 15 days later, on 4 June.

Walk for peace: Buddhist monks and America’s search for healing

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The #BuddhistMonks in the United States have completed their #WalkForPeace after covering nearly 3,700 kilometers in an arduous journey. They reached Washington, DC yesterday. The journey began at the Huong Đạo Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas, on October 26, 2025, and concluded in Washington, DC after a 108-day walk. The monks, mainly from Vietnam and Thailand, undertook this journey for peace and mindfulness. Their number ranged between 19 and 24. Led by Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara (also known as Sư Tuệ Nhân), a Vietnamese-born monk based in the United States, this “Walk for Peace” reflected deeply on the crisis within American society and the search for inner strength among its people.

Pace bowlers who transcended pace bowling prowess to heights unscaled

By Harsh Thakor* This is my selection and ranking of the most complete and versatile fast bowlers of all time. They are not rated on the basis of statistics or sheer speed, but on all-round pace-bowling skill. I have given preference to technical mastery over raw talent, and versatility over raw pace.

When a lake becomes real estate: The mismanagement of Hyderabad’s waterbodies

By Dr Mansee Bal Bhargava* Misunderstood, misinterpreted and misguided governance and management of urban lakes in India —illustrated here through Hyderabad —demands urgent attention from Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), the political establishment, the judiciary, the builder–developer lobby, and most importantly, the citizens of Hyderabad. Fundamental misconceptions about urban lakes have shaped policies and practices that systematically misuse, abuse and ultimately erase them—often in the name of urban development.

Bangladesh goes to polls as press freedom concerns surface

By Nava Thakuria* As Bangladesh heads for its 13th Parliamentary election and a referendum on the July National Charter simultaneously on Thursday (12 February 2026), interim government chief Professor Muhammad Yunus has urged all participating candidates to rise above personal and party interests and prioritize the greater interests of the Muslim-majority nation, regardless of the poll outcomes.

When grief becomes grace: Kerala's quiet revolution in organ donation

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Kerala is an important model for understanding India's diversity precisely because the religious and cultural plurality it has witnessed over centuries brought together traditions and good practices from across the world. Kerala had India's first communist government, was the first state where a duly elected government was dismissed, and remains the first state to achieve near-total literacy. It is also a land where Christianity and Islam took root before they spread to Europe and other parts of the world. Kerala has deep historic rationalist and secular traditions.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Beyond the conflict: Experts outline roadmap for humane street dog solutions

By A Representative In a direct response to the rising polarization surrounding India’s street dog population, a high-level coalition of parliamentarians, legal experts, and civil society leaders gathered in the capital to propose a unified national framework for humane animal management. The emergency deliberations were sparked by a recent Suo Moto judgment that has significantly deepened the divide between animal welfare advocates and those calling for the removal of community dogs, a tension that has recently escalated into reported violence against both animals and their caretakers in states like Telangana.

'Paradigm shift needed': Analyst warns draft electricity policy ignores ecological costs

By A Representative The Ministry of Power’s Draft National Electricity Policy (NEP), 2026 has drawn sharp criticism from power and climate policy analyst Shankar Sharma, who has submitted detailed feedback highlighting what he calls “serious omissions” in the government’s approach to energy transition.

Search This Blog