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Ahmedabad rath yatra to follow usual route

By Manas Dasgupta

GANDHINAGAR JUNE 29. The rath yatra in Ahmedabad on July 12 will follow the traditional route through the numerous minority-dominated areas despite the recent communal carnage.

This was decided by the State Government, the police and the Jagannath temple trust, which organise the rath yatra in the city every year.

The decision has helped remove the differences between the temple trust and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad — the former wanted the chariots taken through the western parts skirting the sensitive areas in the eastern parts and the latter opposed any change of route. But it would be a test for the State Government and the police to ensure peaceful completion of the ceremony.

Not only the temple trust, even many leading citizens and the trade favoured a change in the route this year to avoid another round of communal disturbances. The yatra had been one of the major source of communal disturbances in the past and some intelligence also suggested that some "outside elements'' might try to take advantage of the large Hindu congregation to avenge the recent minority-bashing.

Based on the intelligence reports, the city Police Commissioner and the State Director General of Police had requested the State Government to impress upon the temple trust and the VHP to change the route. But the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, is believed to have prevailed upon the senior police and the Government officials against the change, which could hurt the sentiments of the people in the eastern suburbs and cause more trouble. The chief trustee of the temple trust, Mahendra Jha, also said the decision to stick to the traditional route was taken to avoid hurting the sentiments of the people in these areas because it was the 125th year of the yatra. He said the route could be changed next year.

Some minority leaders had earlier suggested cancelling the rath yatra this year in view of the communal tension on the lines of Muslims cancelling the `tazia' procession on Moharram. But some other leaders said the yatra was not an issue and did not see any reason why it should be cancelled or the route changed.

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