Banaskantha: A tribal community foot march from Palanpur to Gandhinagar over the long-pending issue of caste certificates has taken a new turn, with police stopping the march at multiple points citing a lack of permission. The march, in which Danta MLA Kantibhai Kharadi is also taking part, was halted late Monday night when Palanpur taluka police detained around 50 people, including the MLA. All those detained were released early this morning.

After their release, Kharadi and tribal leaders proceeded towards Siddhpur, where the march was again stopped by police due to the absence of official permission. A brief confrontation ensued between tribal leaders and the police after the Siddhpur Deputy Superintendent of Police stated that the march would not be allowed to proceed even a single step without prior approval. Following this, Congress leaders and tribal representatives returned to Kanodar, where they have resumed a sit-in protest.

Police officials said the organisers had not sought any prior permission to hold the foot march. Citing law and order concerns, the police said the march was stopped to prevent any untoward incident. Tribal leaders, however, remained firm on their demands, stating that they would continue their protest in Kanodar until permission is granted. Kharadi warned that if the issue is not resolved locally, the march to Gandhinagar would resume.

Addressing the situation, Kharadi said the agitation would not stop until caste certificates are issued, calling it a matter affecting future generations. He questioned the requirement of producing documentary proof dating back to 1950, stating that such records are held by the government, not by individuals. He said educated youth were sitting unemployed due to delays in caste certification and reiterated that the only demand was the restoration of the earlier system under which certificates were issued without prolonged verification.

The MLA alleged that the government was deliberately trying to prevent tribals from reaching Gandhinagar and accused the police of harassment and mental pressure since the march began. He said permission requests had been formally submitted but were being delayed due to pressure from higher authorities. Kharadi also criticised the overnight detentions, stating that repeated detentions would not weaken the movement.

Police officials maintained that the foot march had started from Palanpur without approval and was intended to pass through four districts before reaching Gandhinagar to submit a representation to the Chief Minister. When the organisers did not relent despite repeated warnings, police detained the leaders near Kanodar late Monday night and held them at the Palanpur taluka police station before releasing them the next morning.

Tribal leader Ishwarbhai Damor said representations had been submitted over the past three to four years to officials ranging from local authorities to the Governor, but no solution had emerged. He alleged that appointment orders of youths who had cleared government recruitment exams were being withheld in the name of caste verification. DeshGujarat