This refers to the article, “Scourge of reservation: The invisible creamy layer” (September12) by Anish Gupta and Aaleya Giri. The authors have effectively explained the issue. It will be wrong to link Mr Hardik Patel’s agitation with the discrimination faced by his family and his community. Had this been the case, he would have stuck to his earlier stand of ‘no reservation’, because such discrimination is being felt by other communities too, which are not covered under any kind of caste reservation. However, he did not get support.
In the present scenario, no political party dares to utter a word against caste reservation. On the contrary, by demanding reservation for the Patels, however impractical it may be, Mr Patel received covert support of opposition parties. This is not just a conjecture but is clearly visible in the rise of this person in such a short span, and that too without any homework. He knows well that his demand for reservation cannot be accepted/implemented as per law, but he also knows that the present incumbency will not refuse his demand.