Though the men in khaki have already geared up their preparations to maintain law and order during the Durga puja celebrations, the high number of puja pandals in sensitive and highly sensitive localities has kept them worried.
According to SP City SK Singh, the total number of puja pandals installed in city area is 175.
Out of them 20 puja pandals are considered highly sensitive either due to falling in mixed populated localities, or because of the routes used for taking the idols to pandals or carrying out immersion processions. The records of city police show that these puja pandals came in the category of sensitive and highly sensitive between 1980 and 1990 when anti-social elements succeeded in fanning communal tension frequently.
Fortunately no major dispute occurred except in Deonathpura locality after late nineties. The series of disputes that led to communal tensions during Durga puja celebration had started in 1985 when the police had to exercise hard to maintain peace in Katuapura area after a dispute generated on the issue of route for carrying out immersion procession.
In 1986 the police fixed the place of installing idols and immersion procession route but in 1988 tension gripped this locality again when fire caught in the puja pandal due to short circuit. After that police prepared separate security plan for the Durga puja of this locality and it yielded positive result.
Apart from it the exercises for police become hectic in Deonathpura especially when the idol is taken out from the narrow street to the main road for immersion. Most of the Durga puja, which are kept in highly sensitive categories, are held in densely populated localities of old city area. The officials said that keeping the ground realities of these localities in view the police stations concerned are instructed to keep sharp vigil with the beginning of preparations of the Durga puja in those localities while special security plan is placed from the day of installation of idols.
The SSP BD Paulson, who reviewed the preparations of police for Durga puja celebration in the city recently, said that intelligence units are also in alert mode and people of both communities are also interested in maintaining communal harmony.
This confidence in the government machinery had developed after terrorist groups failed to disturb the communal harmony and peace even after attacking the city on regular intervals. The people of both communities showed solidarity and sincerity at the time of crisis.
But, as none of the terrorist blasts, which took place between 2005 and 2010, could be worked and the presence of sleeper modules of terrorist groups have been noticed in the region even in recent weeks, the cops are not looking in a mood to take any risk.
The police officials are also worried to see that the festival of Bakrid is also falling just three days after Dussehra. The preparations of Bakrid like beginning of goat markets at the areas including Beniabagh, would start during Durga puja celebration.
As the possibility of utilising this opportunity by anti-social elements can't be denied the officials are emphasising on strengthening their network to collect intelligence inputs timely to avert untoward incident. The SP City said that more exercises for confidence building, seeking cooperation of traders and petty vendors and alerting the people to be vigilant towards suspicious activities and persons would be evident in city area in coming days.
