The Hindu : `Kar sevaks' hiding, waiting for D-day

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 06, 2002

National

National

`Kar sevaks' hiding, waiting for D-day

AYODHYA, MARCH 5. As the Government attempts to prevent a build-up of `kar sevaks' in Ayodhya, organisers of the temple construction programme have embarked on a changed strategy to ensure the participation of up to one lakh ``kar sevaks'' in the March 15 programme.

While the authorities insist that the number of ``kar sevaks'' in the town is declining fast with each passing day, sources said thousands of them are still present in the town waiting for March 15 and many more were ``infiltrating'' despite Ayodhya being virtually sealed.

Even as the two camps set up for ``kar sevaks'' wore a deserted look, thousands of activists of the Bajrang Dal, the Shiv Sena and the VHP have been scattered in small groups all over Ayodhya to avoid the glare of authorities and media, the sources said. The ``kar sevaks'' have been put up with hundreds of local VHP activists in small groups of two to four.

Pointing out that those leaving Ayodhya were old men and women who had come here to participate in the ``yagna'', the sources said thousands of young men, who would actually participate in the movement of pillars on March 15, had stayed back and merged with the local population. Thousands were trickling in posing as locals after leaving their belongings in the neighbouring districts.

The strategy has been worked in such a way that they have been provided with information about areas of Ayodhya and given addresses which they can claim to be theirs if caught by police. Many are stationed in the neighbouring districts waiting for the right opportunity to enter Ayodhya. The real flow will start from tomorrow when ``kar sevaks'' from Uttar Pradesh are scheduled to go to Ayodhya. This is causing concern to the authorities. ``As of now there is no large inflow of ``kar sevaks,'' A.K. Gupta, Divisional Commissioner of Faizabad, said.

``If trouble is to be prevented here, the `kar sevaks' need to be stopped at the point of origin.''

- PTI, UNI

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