Gujarat Government tries to calm Patidar agitation with 10% reservation

In a bid to save votes from the Patidar community – a major community in the state – the Gujarat government on Friday, recognized them as an EBC (Economically Backward Class) group and allotted them a 10% reservation quota.

The Patidar community, which has been agitating since mid-July, 2015, has finally been granted the EBC tag. However, many people within the community are not satisfied with the move, with many members naming it as a ‘lollipop’ to seduce the Patidar community temporarily.

Even the Congress party’s Shankarsinh Vaghela rejected the BJP’s move and said that the reservation should be raised to 20% and the income bar on this should be increased to Rs. 12 Lakhs per annum. Many sections of the community have demanded a reservation only for Patidars, similar to the reservations given to Jats by the Haryana Government.

The current cap on the reservation is families with a maximum of only Rs. 6 Lakhs as their annual income covering all Patidars and other higher castes.

State’s BJP President, Vijay Rupani said, “The ordinance will be promulgated immediately in order to introduce the new system in the next admission season starting soon”.

The state’s new move is a violation against the constitutional provision to put a cap on reservations at 50% only.  The current reservations on SC, ST and OBC in the state carry about 49% of the seats and an added 10% would violate the SC prescribed rule of 50% reservations only.

This move by the state may be challenged in the Supreme Court once the notice reaches them. However, the state says that they would fight the case in the Supreme Court to provide the reservations to the communities.

Senior advocate Girish Patel said that while the government can issue an ordinance on EBC quota and notify it as well, the quota is impermissible in the Constitution under its Article 16(1), which prohibits reservation on the basis of economic backwardness.

It also goes against Article 16 (4), which provides for reservation on caste basis.

Many voices have spoken against the quota.

OBC leader Alpesh Thakor has condemned the demand by the Congress party for about 20% reservation and said that the income cap should be reduced to 3 Lakh and less as many communities like Darbar and Brahmin communities are poorer than the Patidars. Sections of Brahmin community are also not pleased with the move.

However, the move has not even appeased the Patidar’s, which now demand a 20% reservation and do not agree to settle.

– by Anushka Jain with inputs from agencies

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