The Hindu : Tight security for rath yatra

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 12, 2002

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Tight security for rath yatra

By Manas Dasgupta

AHMEDABAD JULY 11. In view of the Jagannath rath yatra tomorrow, the walled city areas here have virtually been taken over by police. Khaki-clad men and women are seen everywhere — on the roads, at the bus stops and even on rooftops, guarding the traditional route of the annual yatra.

Security for the procession has been unprecedently tight in view of the recent communal violence. A large number of Muslim residents of Dariapur, Shahpur, Jamalpur and other mixed localities on the circuitous 14-km route of the rath-yatra from the Jagannath temple in Jamalpur and back, have already left their houses. To avoid any clash tomorrow (a Friday), the Shahi Imam of Ahmedabad Jumma Masjid, Shabbir Ahmed, has appealed to all Muslims to observe a voluntary "janata curfew''. They have been advised to stay away from the yatra route or stay indoors.

Police will be guarding almost every rooftop on the route to ensure that anti-social elements do not throw stones or other missiles on the rath yatra.

``We are not taking any chances,'' said Hasina Bibi, a resident of Dariapur, who lost her son in the recent riots and is now preparing to leave for Jaipur with her entire family. Hundreds of other minority families are leaving too.

``Not taking chances'' is also what police say. "We are keeping our fingers crossed,'' said the city Police Commissioner, K.R. Kaushik. "We are taking foolproof security measures to prevent any violence, but who knows, after all it takes one small spark or one person to instigate large-scale violence.''

In addition to the local police, who have been mobilised from almost all over the city to man the yatra route, 75 companies of para-military forces, including the Rapid Action Force, the Central Reserve Police Force, the Border Security Force and the State Reserve Police Force will be on duty to provide security cover to the rath yatra to be witnessed by about three lakh people. Video cameras will film the yatra to look out for possible mischief-makers. Observation posts have been erected at all sensitive spots and plainclothesmen will mingle in the crowds to spot trouble-makers.

Senior police officials are still worried. "We had been receiving reports from time to time that some attempts will be made this time to disturb the rath yatra to provoke more clashes,'' a senior official said. The arrest of the mahant of a temple and the seizure of nine countrymade pistols only a few days ago and the recovery of a large number of swords, pistols and bombs in a combing operation in Bhavnagar have added to the apprehension. The driver of the mahant — who is alleged to have procured the countrymade pistols from Uttar Pradesh through a suspended police constable — is said to have confessed that 2,000 such armaments had reached Gujarat.

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