Why Everyone Is Talking About Hardik Patel

Hardik Patel seems to be the man of the moment (sarcasm intended). This 22-year old graduate in Commerce seems to have taken the country, and specifically, the state of Gujarat by storm.

Patel hails from a middle-class family, and his father, it is said, is a BJP activist. His public career began in 2011 when he built a social organisation to fight the injustice and harassment inflicted on poor farmers. He belongs to the 'Patidar' community of Gujarat, which is, broadly speaking, an affluent and politically dominant society in Gujarat, especially with the Patel's comprising almost as much as 20% of the state's population. They are the key players in India's diamond trade and are said to be major supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Patel won millions of followers through his eloquent speeches alone. It is said that more than 300,000 people walked miles to get to the GMDC ground to hear him talk about the injustices that the Patels go through in the country. He was bent on declaring his community as 'backward' as per India's quota system, which would ultimately open up the access to almost 50% of the government jobs and seats in educational institutions. He had even declared an indefinite hunger strike. He was arrested on Tuesday and released afterwards. A curfew was in place as the mobs set fire to 3 police stations and also attacked the homes of 3 state ministers.

Patel has threatened the BJP in his rally, stating that "The Lotus will not bloom in 2017," if their demands are not met. He has also said that if needed, they would "not hesitate to take the path of violence."