The residents of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's native place Karamsad today sat on a fast unto death, demanding special status for the town by including it under the centrally-sponsored Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNRUM).
Around 10 residents sat on the hunger strike near Sardar Patel's statue in Karamsad town in Anand district since morning, while many other locals gathered near the venue to press for the demand, said Rashesh Patel, a leading agitator.
He said that Karamsad's identity as the native place of Sardar Patel, India's first Home minister, would fade away with time, if the Centre does not include the town under its JNNRUM scheme.
"We have been demanding that Karamsad must be given a special status for being the native place of the country's Iron Man," he said.
"Porbandar, the birth place of Mahatma Gandhi, got this status many years back, but Karamsad, having a population of 40,000, is not given that status yet. That is why all the residents have decided to start a movement," Rashesh Patel said.
He was referring to the Union Urban Development Ministry's decision of including Porbandar as a 'Mission City' under JNNRUM in 2009, when Narendra Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat.
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"If Karamsad is given a similar status, it would help us in getting central funds for infrastructure development as well as for maintaining the Sardar Patel memorial here. Above all, it will put Karamsad on the national map. We want recognition for this town. Otherwise, its identity will fade away," he said.
Another agitator and Karamsad resident Dinesh Patel said the state government as well as local MPs had time and again reminded the Centre about their demand, but it did not yield any result.
"We have been pursuing this issue with the government for last 15 years. Though the state leaders made a representation before the Centre, there has been no concrete outcome yet. Thus, we have decided to sit on a fast unto death," Dinesh Patel said.