There was unprecedented security at Shibpur in Howrah district on Sunday for the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Ram Navami procession, which had got a nod from the Calcutta High Court.
In 2023, Shibpur saw a mob go on a rampage, attacking shops and vehicles.
However, by Sunday evening, there was no report of any untoward incident in the area. In 2024 also, Ram Navami procession concluded peacefully in Shibpur.
The day began with Commissioner of Police (Howrah City) Praveen Tripathi taking stock of the preparations along with other top police officers.
The 5-km-long procession began near the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology and meandered through the bylanes of Shibpur, with scores of people joining it. After some time, the crowd swelled, and one could see a wave of saffron flags. Many residents of the area were seen showering the people in the procession with flower petals from their balconies.
“It is a spontaneous outburst of Hindus in the state who are now running for security. Ram is India, and India is Ram. The reason the Hindus are coming out in large numbers is because of the things going on in our state. The situation has compelled the TMC MLA s to come out and take part in Ram Navami celebrations. The question is why the chief minister (Mamata Banerjee) is not coming out on this day. The chief minister wants to divide the state on the basis of religion,” BJP MP Shamik Bhattacharya, who participated in the procession, told The Indian Express.
Ritu Singh of the Durga Vahini, the women’s wing of the VHP, said they were “following all the directions of the Calcutta High Court”. “The route has also not been changed,” she said.
Meanwhile, all the shops in the entire route of the process were shut, and all the bylanes were barricaded as part of the security measures. The people taking part in the procession walked with trishul, bow and arrows and mace made of thermocol. While all top police officers and RAF personnel walked along with the procession, drones were being flown to ensure that no one from the surrounding highrises was trying to commit any mischief.
In sensitive pockets, police personnel were not posted outside the bylanes and also on the rooftops to prevent any untoward incident. Mosques on the procession route were heavily guarded by the police.