Despite giving information in advance, Police beat up devotees : ‘Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti’ complains to Mumbai Police Commissioner

(Credit – TOI)

Mumbai – A large number of Shri Ganesh devotees go for Darshan of the Idols at Parel during the Ganesh Festival, where there are many workshops sculpting Ganesh Idols. Necessary information is given to the local Bhoiwada Police Station about the delivery of the Idols, but instead of taking proper measures to manage the crowd, the Police resort to lathicharge Hindus, complained ‘Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti (Festival Coordination Committee)’ to Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar, expressing displeasure against such Police action. The Festival Coordination Committee wrote a letter, appealing to the Police Commissioner to look into this matter.

There are many workshops in the Lalbag-Parel area sculpting Shri Ganesh Idols. Very few days are now left for Ganesh Festival, and many Ganesh Festival Committees are collecting Ganesh Idols booked by them, in advance, to avoid the last-minute rush. Mostly, the young members of these Ganesh Festival Committees go to these workshops to collect the Idols. Members of a few Ganesh Festival Committees had complained to Girish Walawalkar, the Secretary of the Coordination Committee, about the lathicharge by the Police during the last few days. Taking note of the complaints, Girish Walawalkar wrote to the Police Commissioner reporting this matter. It is also stated in the letter that there are still many Ganesh Idols to be collected by Ganesh Festival Committees; therefore, the crowd may increase in the coming days. Hence, the Administration should take necessary action to properly manage the crowd.

Editorial Viewpoint

Hindus always cooperate with the Police to maintain law and order; still, Police take action only against Hindus; why don’t they manage the crowd properly ? It is also a fact that the same Police, lathi-charging tolerant Hindus, are scared of interfering in non-Hindus celebrating their festivals.