Police hit the ground, meet Ram Navami rally organisers
Times of India | 4 April 2025
Kolkata: Kolkata Police and several dozen organisers have hit the ground to increase coordination in the final countdown to the Ram Navami celebrations this Sunday. The administration is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the festival remains peaceful.
The local police, along with traffic cops, met each organiser and explained the do's and don'ts in detail. "It was decided that there will be no parking along the procession routes. We are also ensuring that rooftop views are open as we need to position our security personnel at vantage points. We will also not allow hawkers along the routes. Thus, our meetings are not just restricted to organisers, but also local residents and traders whose help is required. Thankfully, the fact that it is a Sunday will help our cause," said a senior officer from the central division, which is expected to manage 29 processions.
The cops also requested organisers to allow police to cordon off the front and rear portions of the processions. "We explained to them that plaintcloth policemen will be present in processions to attract over 200 devotees at one point. There are at least 17 rallies where that number is likely to exceed," claimed Lalbazar.
Biswajit Saha of Shri Shri Ram Navami Uddjapani Samity, which originates its rally from the Wellington Fan Market's Hanuman Mandir, said the first thing on the organiser's mind was to uphold the religious sanctity of the occasion. "We have organised this rally for years now. We know each participant by face. The cops have met us and explained all their requirements. We have also conveyed the same within our committee. We hope to get the cooperation from cops," said Saha.
Deo Prakash Tewary of Shri Shri Ram Navami Utsav Samiti, which originates its procession from KK Tagore Street, said that while a DJ will be used, it will be ensured that its volume is not beyond permissible limits. "We have ensured a strict ban on arms. Ram's Maryada is most important. We will not allow anything whereby his Maryada gets affected," said Tewary.
The organisers have also began meeting their core participants through the programme of rice distribution. Swarajit Das Sarkar, a Nagar Karyavah Salt Lake and principal organiser of a gathering between Tank No. 2 and Baisakhi in Salt Lake, explained that rice was from the remaining prasad distributed nationwide following the Ram Temple consecration in Ayodhya in Jan 2024.