DNA Correspondent l Ahmedabad
If the number game at the massive meet is any indicator, political pundits must be trying to figure out what smacks of a ULP (United Leuva Patel) Front - a force to be reckoned with in 2012 Gujarat hustings. However, interestingly, nobody emerged as the leader in the sammelan, except for the community Goddess Khodiyar, under whose umbrella the who's who of various political parties were seen assembled together. The meet on the 'Beti Bachao' ground at Nikol on Sunday evening lacked leadership agenda, but it clearly displayed the motive, 'Community First'.
Veteran BJP leader and former chief minister Keshubhai Patel, sitting BJP MLA from Bapunagar constituency Vallabh Kakadia, founder president of Mahagujarat Janata Party and former minister of state for home Gordhan Zadaphia, former GPCC president Siddharth Patel, NCP leader Bholabhai Patel and several Leuva Patel (LP) community leaders and businessmen gathered at the venue.
Though the LP community was called for the mega foundation stone-laying event for Shree Khodaldham Mandir in Kagwad village of Rajkot district on January 21, 2012, Sunday's venue was chock-a-block with political leaders. Interestingly, no political leader was given a seat on the stage. Only a picture of Goddess Khodiyar was placed on the dais.
This may have been an attempt to buttress further the community's united stand or even avoid ego clashes that could lead to fragmentation of the community. Others opine it may have also to paint the event as apolitical! Again, none of the political leaders present on the occasion was felicitated by the community, but all leaders had to felicitate chairman of Khodaldham Trust, Naresh Patel, who has played a crucial role in acquiring the land for the temple.
Many of the community leaders emphasised the fact that no leader other than the community will be given centrestage, as it is purely a community event. This indicates that the event was one step further towards demonstration of LP community strength.
Naresh Patel said that once it was decided that there should be a gala temple of Goddess Khodiyar, in just five days 158 vigha of land was acquired. Giving details about the mega event, he said: "Pramukhswami Maharaj, president of Bochasanvasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), will lay its foundation stone."
Magan Ramani, coordinator for Ahmedabad for the event, said: "Around 20 lakh people from the community are expected to attend the event, to which officials from the Guinness Book of World Records have been invited.
If they find that 20 lakh people gathered at one place and has no parallel anywhere in the world, it might find a place in the Book."
Comments