At least 128 people were injured in “Dahi-handi”-related incidents in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane city, even as the Krishna Janmashtami revellers defied the Supreme Court order restricting height of the human pyramid to 20 feet and banning participation of those below 18 years and at one place at Thane a “Govinda” team formed a “human pyramid” as tall as 40 feet.
While 126 “Govindas” suffered injuries in various parts of Mumbai, two others sustained injuries at Thane. Of the injured, 92 revellers were treated and discharged, while the remaining 34 injured are undergoing treatment at various hospitals in Mumbai.
The defiance was relatively rampant at Thane where police registered offences against Maharastra Navnirman Sena (MNS) “Dahi-handi” organiser Avinash Jadhav and 16 “Govindas’ under Sections 224/16 308, 336, 188, 34 of Indian Penal Code read with 140 of the Maharashtra Police Act for allegedly violating the apex court’s order.
In utter disregard to the Supreme Court directive, the MNS-sponsored “Jai Jawan” Mandal had erected a nine-tier “human pyramid”, which was of 40 feet height. Jadhav, who had earlier been served a notice against defying the apex court order, was unfazed by the police action against him.
Such as the nature of defiance shown by the revellers belonging to the “Jai Jawan” was that they wore T-shirts that read “hoye, mi kayda modnar’ (I will break the law). These revellers were attempting to break the 40-foot “Dahi-handi” that carried a cash prize of Rs 11 lakh.
Talking to mediapersons after the Naupada police registered a case against him, a nonchalant Jadhav said, “I have not committed any crime. let the police do what they want to. I enjoy the support of MNS chief Raj Thackeray. Given that as many as 92 cases have been registered against my party president, what difference it makes if one case is registered against me.”
At many places, the “Govinda” teams also flouted the age-restriction of 18 years, by asking children aged around or below 12 years to climb the penultimate and upper ties of “human pyramid”.
The revellers at Jogeshwari in north Mumbai in wore black bands protest against the SC’s restrictions.
One of the revellers at Thane was seen carrying measuring tape while climbing up to the top of the “human pyramid” that he did not violate 20 feet height restriction, while MNS activists used a ladder at Chinchpokli in north-central Mumbai to reach up to the top and break handi.
Though some safety precautions had been taken by the organisers, there has not been much of a difference in terms of injuries suffered by the Govindas this year, as compared with last two years’. However, there has not been any casualty this year. last year, one person had been killed, while 66 others were injured. In 2014, a 46-year-old man had died of a heart attack and at least 210 revellers had been injured in various mishaps that marred the “Dah-handi” celebrations in different parts of Mumbai and neighbouring Thane.
Slogans like “Govinda Ala re... and” “Govinda re Gopala, Bol Bhajrang Bali ki jai, Go Go Govinda...” rent the air, as boisterous revellers-- better known as Govindas - climbed human pyramids to break the traditional “dahi-handis’.
These “dahi-handis” contain a mixture of milk, curd, dry fruits and prize money for Govindas breaking them. The ritual involving “dahi-handi” symbolises the manner in which young Krishna stole butter from an earthen pot suspended from the ceiling.
Meanwhile, Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor and Yuv Sena leader Aditya Thackeray were present at the Dahi handi held at the Mumbai Football Club. like it has been a practice with them for years on end, several other celebrities too visited dahi handi mandals.
In a related development, the Mumbai and Thane police were keeping a close watch on the Dahi-handi celebrations across the two cities. “We are both taking photographs and video-graphing the events across the city.”Those found flouting the Supreme Court norms shall be prosecuted depending on the nature of violations,” said Mumbai police spokesperson and DCP Ashok Dudhe.
On his part, MNS chief Raj Thackeray had on Thursday last debunked the SC order and said that the courts should not interfere in the conduct of festivals.
A day after the apex court upheld the Bombay High Court’s August 2014 order regarding restrictions on the Dahi-handi revellers, a miffed Raj had said: “Who has given powers to the courts to interfere in festivals that we have been celebrating for yearsIJ Just because you (courts) feel a threat of mishap, you choose to impose restrictions on Dahi handi. Will the courts impose restrictions on Olympic and games like crickets on similar groundsIJ”
“If the courts interfere in each and every thing, then where is the need for holding elections to Assemblies and lok SabhaIJ The courts themselves can run the country in a manner they want,” he had said.