Cops, RG Kar zone clubs strategize to tackle flash protest mobs
Times of India | 28 September 2024
Kolkata: Durga Puja organizers and police on Friday finished drawing up last-moment strategies to ensure smooth puja in north and central Kolkata, especially those located close to RG Kar Hospital.
Deployment of extra cops in plainclothes and counselling volunteers not to get into any debate with anyone protesting against the RG Kar crime during the puja are some of the slew of measures that puja organizers are taking to avoid any law-and-order problem.“We have been promised extra police deployment. We have told our volunteers not to engage with protesters unless something happens inside the pandal complex,” said an organizer of a Belgachhia puja, pointing out that the organisers were taking police advice on how to maintain peace.
Tala Barowari organizer Abhishek Bhattacharya said they believed in democratic rights of everyone. “We will not stop anyone protesting outside the pandal unless they challenge law and order or stop the circulation of the crowd,” he said. “But we are also banking on receiving administrative help if any demonstration is planned inside the pandal. We hope everyone’s freedom is appreciated.” Bhattacharya pointed out they were also trying to iron out certain “usual problem areas”, like parking, especially of two-wheelers. “Our parking is barely 100 m from the RG Kar boundary. We hope to get police help in streamlining it.”
In central Kolkata, puja organizers around Muktarambabu Street and off CR Avenue and Vivekananda Road cited previous years’ ordeal of two-wheeler riders parking their vehicles in walking zones. They urged police to ensure no such incident took place this time. Officers reportedly promised the clubs that cops would be posted near pandals round the clock to make certain parking norms were followed.
Police have also suggested extra pedestrian channels are created in the Sealdah-CR Avenue-Chorbagan belt. “MG Road and CR Avenue saw a lot of movement after 3 pm in the past couple of pujas with a large number of people straying onto Amherst Street, BB Ganguly Street and even portions of MG Road. This affected traffic. We discussed the issue with organizers and local cops to improve the situation,” said an officer at the meeting. For this year, too, police want both sides of Amherst Street and B B Ganguly Street barricaded. Earlier, only one side of Amherst Street was barricaded. Police will also remove hawkers near the Santosh Mitra Square exit to facilitate faster dispersal.
At Kumartuli Park, police asked for extra illumination at the exit, especially the passage linking Kumartulli park with Kumartuli Sarbojonin that houses studios.