Gujarat: Bid to ‘lock-down’ Tata Motors plant at Sanand fizzles out

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Despite the large police presence and barricading in and around Sanand, Alpesh Thakor was seen leading a half-a-kilometer-long rally that consisted of protestors travelling on two-wheelers, trucks and cars. Police intercepted the rally on the highway, about two kilometers before the Tata Motors plant. Seeing the barricades in place, the protesters alighted from their vehicles, parked them on the side of the road and squatted on the highway. They waved red flags that had a picture of a lion and shouted slogans against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As the policemen dressed in riot-gear looked on and the sloganeering continued, Alpesh Thakor stepped forward and said, “A Gujarat model is being showcased around the world. It claims that the state has the lowest unemployment numbers. These claims are hollow. The youths of the state are unable to find jobs in the industries that have set up base here… We are demanding more jobs for local youths and more water for the farmers.”

He then turned back to egg on the protestors that consisted of Anganwadi workers in pink saris who were demanding a hike in salaries, and youngsters who were wearing chains and locks. He later climbed on a wall of an adjoining empty industrial plot and shouted “Bharat Mata Ki Jay”. After he climbed down, the policemen escorted him to a waiting jeep. With the vehicle already full with policemen, some of his supporters eager to join him, climbed on the back of the jeep as it sped away.

Few of the remaining protestors, especially women and youngsters voluntarily climbed into police vans that were parked nearby. This included a protestor who was carrying a huge cut-out of a lock. Others folded their flags, climbed back into their cars and trucks, and returned peacefully. Police sources later said that around 500 protestors were detained. They were released after 3.5 hours.