Hardik Patel, the 22-year-old from Gujarat who has been in jail since October on charges of sedition, has compared himself to an army jawan willing to sacrifice his life to defend India.

NDTV reports that in a note to his parents on Mother's Day, Patel urges his mother "not to shed tears for her son".  From a Surat prison, he counsels her, "There are hundreds of jawans leaving behind their mothers and families and serving the country and even attaining martyrdom."

In August, Patel emerged as the sword-wielding leader of the Patels or Patidars , front-lining an aggressive demand for affirmative action  for the traditionally rich and powerful community which, for decades, supported the BJP in Gujarat. The Patels say that Gujarat has failed to create jobs in the private sector, so they must be added to the list of castes entitled to a share of government jobs and university places. Read more