With just a little over a week left to go for Ram Navami, Kolkata Police headquarters, Lalbazar, is taking preparations to ensure safety, security of citizens and prevent untoward incidents. An instruction from Lalbazar has been circulated across police stations in areas where the processions will take place, asking them to be alert and prepare for this year’s Ram Navami which is scheduled to be celebrated on April 6.
With a past record of communal tensions surrounding Ram Navami in the state including tensions being reported from certain areas last year, the police department is ensuring that this year law and order is maintained in the city especially during processions taken out by political leaders. Around 5,000 police personnel were on duty last year to maintain peace. A similar security arrangement is expected this year.
One crore participants expected at BJP’s Ram Navami processions
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari recently announced that over 2,000 processions will be taken out across West Bengal on Ram Navami, which will require enhanced security arrangements across the state. Taking a jibe at appeasement policies of the Mamata Banerjee government, he further said that any attempts to stop Ram Navami processions will be resisted strongly.
“Ram Navami will be celebrated on a grand scale this year. Last year, about 50 lakh Hindus took to the streets for around 1,000 rallies. This year, we expect 2,000 rallies with nearly 1 crore participants,” the Bengal BJP leader told the media.
“Do not seek any permission from the administration to take out the rallies. We do not need permission to pray to Lord Ram. We will be peaceful. But it is the administration’s job to ensure that others also remain peaceful,” he said, without naming any community, reported PTI.
Ram Navami Security preparation by Kolkata Police
Routes for Ram Navami processions across the city will be kept under CCTV surveillance. “We have been asked to install additional CCTV cameras for maximum coverage of the route. All the rallies will have to be videographed this year,” said an Officer-in-Charge of a police station in the Eastern Suburban division.
Police stations will escort rallies through their jurisdictions and video-graph them for security records.
Police stations in key areas like Burrabazar, Posta, Jorabagan, Girish Park, Jorasanko, Hare Street, Bowbazar, Cossipore, Sinthi, Chitpore, Tala, Shyampukur, Burtala, Maniktala, Entally, Tangra, Beniapukur, Topsia, Karaya, Ballygunge, Kalighat, Gariahat, Chetla, Alipore, Watgunge, South Port, North Port, Hastings, Taratala, and some others, have been asked to check their surveillance infrastructure such as CCTV cameras.
There will be an additional number of drones besides special body cameras.Drones will be deployed especially in sensitive areas prone to tension in the city.
Tear gas will be used in the firing in case of any untoward incident.
Police stations have reportedly been asked to hold meetings and discuss with organisers of Ram Navami and urge them to organise peaceful rallies without any weapons as per guidelines of the Calcutta High Court.
Organisers will have to submit their details at Lalbazar seeking formal permission to hold the procession on Ram Navami.
Over the past few years, the number of processions on the occasion of Ram Navami has increased rapidly, leading to traffic congestion in major areas of the city. As per the police, the High Court guidelines state that there would be no DJ during the processions and there should be restrictions on the number of participants in the rallies.
With a special emphasis on combat if any tension arises, special training is being imparted to the lower-level police personnel as per reports. Also, state-of-the-art combat clothing for the cops is reportedly being imported from several states of India.
