VISHVENDU JAIPURIAR
Hazaribag, March 15: With district administration clamping section 144 in town to avoid any untoward incidents during three mangla processions, angry members of different akharas came out of road blocked Jhanda chowk on Tuesday night. They were protesting section 144 as well as restrictions on use of traditional weapons and sound systems.
The order issued by sadar subdivisional officer Vidya Bhushan Kumar on Monday night confirmed the clamping of section 144 to avoid any untoward incidents during mangla procession.
The order restricted moving with traditional weapons including lathias which sparked anger among various akharas in town. The first mangla procession was held last night, the second to come out on March 28 and the third on March 31.
Notably, the akharas in Hazaribag take out grand processions with members play with traditional weapons passing through the town. Kumar’s order restricted them from even carrying lathis with them which resulted in the last night’s protest.
DJs and sound systems are also allowed only for wedding processions. This was the reason why when two wedding processions passed close to Jhanda chowk, protesting youths hijacked the DJ making the operator to bhajans and started dancing forcing the members of the procession to remain mute spectators for an hour along the roadside. After repeated requests, the DJ was returned.
Led by Shashi Keshri, Aman Kumar, Ajay Das, others youths in large numbers sat at Jhanda chowk spewing venom against the district administration and state government. “They have put restrictions on ram navami in Hazaribag only and so it reflects their actual intention to end the international ram navami of Hazaribag which is popular worldwide,” said Aman Kumar.
Ajay Das, on the other hand, said that on March 18, he would undertake a journey on foot to Ranchi to give a memorandum to the Governor. The protest continued till 11:30 amid tight security. Despite section 144, few akharas have also taken out mangla procession. In the Nagwa area, Korra police seized the DJ of an akhara when it came out on the road defying the orders.
Meanwhile, the state president of BJP’s OBC morcha led a delegation to give a memorandum to the Governor through district officials raising questions on the order of subdivisional officer Vidya Bhushan Kumar. “If this order is not withdrawn immediately, we will be left with no other option but to launch a massive protest,” he added.
