The festival was commercialized and due to that, the height or the tiers went on increasing each year. It is due to increasing height that there is risk to life and limb of a Govindas, says Swati Patil
To ensure that no Govinda suffer injuries and the festival is safely celebrated, activists have sent around messages on social media about the same. They are also urging citizens to either approach police station themselves or connect with them so that they can in turn approach the police. The festival will be observed on Monday.
"The festival was commercialized and due to that, the height or the tiers went on increasing each year. It is due to increasing height that there is risk to life and limb of a Govindas. There are still many who are still on bed," said Swati Patil, social activist whose public interest litigation led to various measures that were put in place for the celebration.
"However, the government has still failed to implement the capping of the height that each Govinda should go up to. It is for this reason that we are sending out Whatsapp videos asking citizens to report about violations. Only those who are at the top wear an helmet and not all," said Patil
In her appeal, the activist urges that the festival should be celebrated as one and not a "problem" that requires an insurace. "Celebrate it in your own galli over heading to Thane or any other place. The idea is that it should be celebrated as a festival and not looked at something that is a problem. Injuries can be even from a four layer thing. Hence I request my Govindas to remember their dear ones and not to anythign that will be a problem for them. It is a pious Hindu festival which should be celebrated like one and not celebrated in a way that it starts to look like a problem," said Patil. Bala Padalkar, of Dahi Handi Utsav Samanway Samiti did not answer the call.
"We have told all the mandals to take all security measures as per court order. We have even told them to try to have their own helmet and jacket instead of relying on organisers. People who are opposing they should instead look to provide security gear and this question should be put to organisers," said Bala Padelkar, president of Dahi Handi Utsav Samanway Samiti.
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