The state government's announcement to form a Commission to look into the welfare of communities that do not get reservation benefits, ostensibly to placate the agitating Patel community, has not gone down well with Brahmins.
The state government's announcement to form a Commission to look into the welfare of communities that do not get reservation benefits, ostensibly to placate the agitating Patel community, has not gone down well with Brahmins.
A Brahmin organisation has described the announcement as election oriented, and accused the government of ignoring non-Patel communities.
Shri Samast Gujarat Brahm Samaj, the federation that represents 459 Brahmin organisations, said that the Commission, announced by the state government by holding consultations with representatives only from the Patel community, is not acceptable to it.
"The government has imposed the Commission on all communities, which are not getting benefits of reservation by holding talks with just one community and overlooking others. If the government was serious, it should have called all communities for talks.
This is aimed at polarising voters ahead of elections, and shows the government's desperation," Yagnesh Dave, general secretary of the organisation, said.
Incidentally, Brahmins have been asking for a separate Commission for the community since 2015, a demand that has not been accepted.
Dave said that by talking only with Patels, who account for just 16% of the population, the government has meted out injustice to Brahmins (11% of population) and other non-reserved communities which account for 23%.
Deputy chief minister Nitin Patel, who announced the formation of the Commission after talking with the Patel community leaders on Tuesday, declined to comment when asked about the Brahm Samaj's rejection of the move.
The Brahm Samaj said in a statement that Brahmin community leaders will meet with representatives of other non-reserved communities on October 5 to discuss the issue further.
After meeting Hardik Patel and over 120 leaders representing various religious and social organisations of the Patel community, deputy CM Nitin Patel announced on Tuesday that the government will form a Commission for non-reserved communities, and a separate one to probe police atrocities against Patels during the agitation.
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