The Municipal Corporation of Dehradun is expected to finalise the new protest site in a week. Demonstrations at the existing protest site near the Parade Ground have been causing public inconvenience and traffic jams among other issues.
This and the planned development of the Parade Ground area under the smart city project are the reasons for the authorities deciding to shift the protest site to another location. In the recent past the Dehradun mayor Sunil Uniyal ‘Gama’ had stated that the protest site would be shifted away from its current location near the Parade Ground.
According to deputy municipal commissioner of Dehradun, Rohitash Sharma, “For now, the locations at Nanoorkheda and Ekta Vihar on Sahastradhara Road are being considered for the new protest site in the city. Though the new site has not been finalised yet, the new site will probably be finalised by the end of this week.”
However, the protesters on the site do not agree to the decision of shifting protesting site to these locations. According to one of the anti-CAA protestors Sardar Khan, “We have been told verbally to vacate the protest site but nothing in writing has been given to us by the official of any department.
Our protest will not shift to any other location till we are given a protest site near the Clock Tower or near the center of the city.” “What is the point of protesting in a location which is far from the centre of Dehradun? The protest is done so that the voice of people can be heard by the authorities.
Who will come to these areas to hear or support the protestors? Protesting against the wrongdoing of the government is the right of every citizen in a democratic country so it is the duty of the MCD to provide a place which is satisfactory to everyone,” said another protestor Mohammad Ishad. According to one of the members of Devbhoomi e-rickshaw welfare society, Satyaveer Arya, “We are not protesting here for now but we are not leaving the site either as we will be commencing our license camp here. Since we have not received any kind of notice to vacate the protest site, we’ll stay here.”