BJP’s Mahuva MLA Dr. Kanubhai Kalsaria’s long march against Nirma cement plant will enter into the city of Ahmedabad today.

From Sarkhej, the yatra will proceed to Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram at around noon. After having lunch, the farmers and other supporters will walk to Koba circle. After a night-halt at Koba circle, they will move towards Gandhinagar for gherao of Gujarat assembly.

The Yatra had been started at Doliya village near Mahuva in southern Saurashtra. As the assembly session is on in Gandhinagar, it is not likely that the government would allow Dr. Kalsaria’s foot march to go beyond Koba.

Some facts n nut shell about Dr. kalsaria’s movement against Nirma.

-Dr. Kalsaria(K) is BJP MLA from Mahuva, but his personal goodwill is so superb that he can win Mahuva even without contesting on BJP ticket. Dr. Kalsaria is ideologically a BJP supporter, but he is not happy with existing Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s industrialization drive at the cost of environment and against the wishes of local people. Dr. Kalsaria is opposing Nirma company’s cement plant in Mahuva area. He lost a case against this plant in Gujarat High Court. The case is going on in the Supreme Court at present. During the course of agitation, Dr. Kalsaria was attacked once in the past by pro-Nirma people.

-In one seminar at Anand in central Gujarat, Dr. Kalsaria was introduced to Rahul Gandhi by veteran Gujarat politician Sanat Mehta. Rahul was briefed about Nirma agitation. Rahul Gandhi asked Youth Congress unit in Gujarat to inquire whether Dr. Kalsaria’s agitation was making sense, and whether it had popular support of local people. After inquiry report was found positive, Rahul Gandhi ordered Gujarat Youth Congress to support Dr. Kalsaria’s agitation. Thus Dr. Kalsaria shared stage with Youth Congress in couple of function. However BJP has not kicked out Dr. Kalsaria so far. On the other side, Kalsaria has not left the BJP. One interesting thing to notice is that Dr. kalsaria has not allowed party banners in his long march. So if Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia joined the march, he joined it without party banner. Same was about MahaGujarat Janata Party leader Gordhanbhai who joined the march for some distance. Ditto about R.S.S. Pracharak Damleji who also walked the march without R.S.S. banner. Dr. Kalsaria wants to continue his agitation in non-political manner. Some leftists are also supporting Dr. Kalsaria’s march, pseudo secular, missionaries are also in his support, and they keep joining in the march for some distance here or there.

-Dr. Kalsaria has this time decided he would not return back to Mahuva without deciding fate of Nirma plant in his favor.

-Dr. Kalsaria had met Narendra Modi on Nirma issue in past, but Modi had told him to support the development. Dr. kalsaria believes that development at the cost of environment and against local wishes is not welcome.