Ahmedabad: Gujarat High Court ordered the state authorities to pay Rs 4 lakh as compensation to the families of those killed during the recent agitation by the Patel community demanding other backward caste status and reservation in government jobs and educational institutions. Those who suffered disability over 65% should be given Rs 2 lakh, the court ruled on Thursday and also ordered CID Crime to investigate the alleged police excesses on those protesting.
Hardik Patel, a young leader of the Patel community, has launched an agitation demanding that either Patels be granted reservation or else the entire quota system should be scrapped.
He had organised a massive rally in Ahmedabad on August 25 which was attended by lakhs of Patels. But it turned violent after Hardik was detained by Ahmedabad Police late in the night. At least 10 people died in the violence across the state.
Some CCTV footage showed police personnhel indulging in violence without any provocation. Many police personnel were seen entering Patel dominated areas in Ahmedabad and damaging vehicles which resulted in retaliation by the youngsters from the community.
Following the violence police imposed ban on mobile internet, social media and SMS services which was lifted only late on the night of September 1. The statewide ban was imposed on these services on the night of August 25.
The Patel quota movement spearhead has also decided to organise a "reverse" Dandi march from Dandi to Ahmedabad this week in a bid to scale up the agitation in its second phase.
The Dandi March led by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930 was an important part of independence movement and Hardik's move to choose that location for strengthening his agitation is viewed as a clever strategy to send the message across various stake-holders.
"Mahatma Gandhi did Dandi March on this route, starting from Sabarmati in Ahmedabad till Dandi in south Gujarat. Walking on this 350-km route, we will hold our own 'Patidar Anamat Kooch'," Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) core committee member Dinesh Patel and Hardik's close aide said.
"The march will be organised on the same route where Dandi March was held. However, our march will be in the reverse direction. Instead of going to Dandi from Ahmedabad, we will start our march from Dandi and arrive at Ahmedabad. As per our tentative schedule, it will be organised on either September 5 or 6," Dinesh said.
Hardik and other PAAS leaders held marathon meetings with local Patel leaders, student groups and Patel businessmen, as part of the second phase of their agitation.
"Hardik also went to Lajpore jail near the city and met around 40 Patel youths who were lodged there by police in false cases during the violence. Hardik also met an injured woman at a hospital. She was hit by a teargas shell during violence," Dinesh said.
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