The agitations by the Patidar (Patel) community in Gujarat seem to be on the lines of those by the Marathas in Maharashtra and the Jats and Meenas in Rajasthan.
These dominant communities are demanding other backward class (OBC) status in their respective states. From the tone of the statements made by those spearheading the agitation, it appears that the Congress is calling the shots from behind the curtain. Patel community leaders have issued a veiled threat to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party that if their demands are not met, the party would lose power in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state.
Nevertheless, the people of Gujarat should remember what happened to the Nav Nirman movement launched in the state in the early 1970s.
Vineet Phadtare Mumbai
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