TRAFFIC JAM IN VRINDAVAN

President Pranab Mukherjee's visit to Vrindavan Sunday afternoon proved quite a nightmare to many pilgrims who were caught unawares in the traffic rigmarole and jams. Local residents were furious at the restrictions that presented a curfew like scenario and hampered free movement, "for no rhyme or reason."

 

Since early morning traffic was stopped on the Chatikara road leading to the venue of the programme. Since president Mukherjee had to visit the Bankey Bihari temple after the programme, the entire market area and the 30 odd lanes and bylanes were sealed. Shopkeepers chose to call it a day. "On Sundays the rush of pilgrims from Delhi and nearby areas is always high, but today it was different. The holy town that is so vibrant and alive, looked like a deserted cluster of houses. Even kids were not seen around. The ubiquitous stray cows had been huddled and dispatched somewhere," said Vrindavan shopkeeper, Sri Hari.

 

The sadhus of the holy town were not amused. "Its all a high decible drama, good marketing to create a hype to sell the luxury bunglows being built around the temple," said an angry ascetic Swami Baba. Another sadhu was furious at being stopped. When he raised a ruckus, he was asked to cool his heels at the police chowki.

 

"The president came in a helicopter straight to the venue. Then what was the logic of holding back the traffic for so long on the Chatikara road. This is no democracy," a student living in a nearby hostel. Narendra Kumar said.

 

The number of vehicles, of all shapes and sizes surprised the humble pilgrims walking with their luggage over their heads for a darshan of the Bankey Bihari Lal. A family from Gwalior said "in the darbar of the lord everyone should be treated equally." For more than an hour the big crowd of ISKCON members, donors, media persons and the local gentry, were held back in the premises till the return of the president from the Sri Bankey Bihari temple. "It was only after the helicopter took off that the gates were opened and suddenly the road outside was choked with vehicles going all over and really nowhere. The spill off could be tracked down all the way to Agra on the national highway."

 

People wanted to hear their MP Hema Malini but she did not get an opportunity.

 

The elaborate security bandobust rarely seen in Mathura and Vrindavan was the talk of the town. Cops from neighbouring districts were summoned, alongwith fire brigades, bomb disposal unit, the Vajr Vahans and the presence of military personnel added to the awe .  "Questions are bound to be raised on the level of expenditure and the need for this scale of preparations as if some imperial monarch had descended in the house of the lord," commented  a Sri Krishna Bhakt from Goverdhan, Ram Krishan.  The hype and over-reaction of the state administrative machinery was rather unusual in terms of preparations that had been going on for over a fortnight. Even langurs were hired to shoo away the monkeys who the police feared could run away with rashtrapati's spectacles. However, due to the action by animal rights activist Naresh Kadian, officials said the langurs had been sent back.