BRAJBASIS RESENT RESTRICTIONS DUE TO PRESIDENT'S VISIT

Vrindavan November 11 (IANS)

 

"Brajbasis"--  residents of Vrindavan and Braj area, the "leela-bhoomi" of Sri Krishn-Radha are not amused by the unprecedented security arrangements being made for president Pranab Mukherji's visit to this holy town on November 16, to lay the foundation stone of the world's tallest Sri Krishna temple, being built by ISKCON.

 

Five helipads, thousands of policemen on every inch of space, sanitised streets, traffic blocked for hours, scores of plainclothes detectives and CCTV camera, in addition to langoors to shoo away the notorious monkeys of Vrindavan who could in a jiffy disappear with the spectacles of the VVIPs.

 

Senior police as also state government officials have been reviewing arrangements made and the security apparatus being monitored at the highest level. "For a whole week the district administration will remain tuned to Vrindavan, forget routine work or the plight of the agitating farmers of Gokul area lodged in jail," says an angry resident Ram Narain. 

 

"It appears as if we are waiting to celebrate the arrival of a colonial emperor in 1920s, and not a head of a socialist democracy which considers all equal," says activist of Vrindavan Jagan Nath.

 

The UP governor, chief minister, several ministers, local MP Hema Malini hordes of bureaucrats and senior police officials will stand to attention to receive the president who will also  "do a favour to the presiding deity of Vrindavan by visiting  the Bankey Bihari temple,"  adds Madhu Mangal Shukla.

 

Sri Krishna has always been seen as a "sakha" friend, a naturalist, an egalitarian leader of the commoners against the mighty autocrat King Kansa of Mathura. His whole life is a message of bridging gaps, but the manner the forthcoming visit of the India president is being projected, can only be described as an irony. "He should have come as a commoner and mingled with the Brajbasis and kissed the sacred dust of Braj area," said a panda Girdhar Brajbasi.

 

Watching curiously a pilgrim from Gujarat, Tara Behn, wondered what was going on, "why so many police men? what is the threat to the Rasthrapati ji? why is he making us feel small? "

 

Another local, a tea stall owner whose kiosk will be moved away for sure, says "in the court of the almighty all are equal. This is not done."