Hailing the decision of the Central government to give 10 per cent quota to economically weaker families of upper castes, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said at a gathering of Patidars on Monday that the quota to communities not covered under the caste-based reservation will help better their integration with those enjoying it. "Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi has demonstrated foresight and given 10 per cent reservation to those who were not getting the benefit of quotas so far," Rupani was quoted as saying in an official release from the state information department. The CM was addressing a meeting of the convenors of Shree Khodaldham Trust (SKT), a religious organisation and members of the Leuva Patel community at Khodaldham, a temple premises at Kagvad village in Jetpur taluka of Rajkot district. SKT, a religious trust of Leuva Patels, a sub-caste group of the politically and economically influential Patidar or Patel community of the state, had organised the meeting to celebrate the third anniversary of the inauguration of Khodaldham temple, a shrine dedicated to the community's patron deity goddess Khodiyar or Khodal. The CM said the decision of giving quota benefits to those having a family income of less than Rs 8 lakh per annum irrespective of their caste was a step in the direction of Sauno Sath, Sauno Vikas (collective efforts, development of all). "Gujarat is the first state to implement this 10 per cent reservation. We are implementing this policy so that all communities in the state get equal opportunities, progress together and injustice is not meted out to anyone.," the release further quoted Rupani as saying. Incidentally, the Patidar community in the state has been agitating for the last three-and-a-half-years demanding recognition as an OBC (other backward class) community and benefits of attendant reservation in government jobs and institutes of higher education. Presently, OBCs enjoy 27 per cent reservation in jobs and education and the BJP government in the state has repeatedly turned down the demand for OBC quota by Patidars. Leuva Patels dominate Saurashtra, a politically important region in the state. While the Patidar quota stir originated in north Gujarat, it spread to Saurashtra also. The agitation had an anti-BJP overtone and the ruling party suffered heavy defeats in the 2015 panchayat election, also losing a significant number of seats in Assembly elections in 2017. The reversal for the ruling party in Assembly elections had come despite the BJP government in the state having announced 10 per cent reservation for what it called economically weaker sections of upper caste communities. Addressing the gathering at Khodaldham, Rupani said that Patidar community had played the leading role in the development of the state. "This community believes in hard work and perseverance. It has always cared for other communities. The Vibrant Gujarat Summit concluded yesterday and today, I had the good fortune of having the darshan of goddess Khodal. I pray to the goddess to give us strength to work sincerely for the welfare of the people and that the people of Gujarat come together for making India a leading country in the world," said the CM. The CM was accompanied by SKT president and industrialist Naresh Patel, Food, Civil Supply and Consumer Affairs Minister Jayesh Radadiya, Gujarat BJP president Jitu Vaghani and a host of BJP MLAs from Patidar community. Former chief minister Keshubhai Patel laid the foundation stone of Khodaldham temple in the run-up to the Assembly elections in 2012. Months before the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, Narendra Modi, the then chief minister of Gujarat visited the premises and inaugurated an agricultural expo. Modi's successor Anandiben Patel also visited Khodaldham more than once during her tenure.
