Vehicular traffic remained choc-a-bloc on Jaiprakash Narayan Setu ( or Mango bridge) over Subarnarekha river and at several important thoroughfares as a grand rally was taken out on the occasion of Eid Milad-un-Nabi to mark the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammed in the city today.
About one lakh people participated in the rally that originated from Gandhi Maidan in Mango and culminated at Dhatkidih Community Centre ground in Bistupur, covering a distance of around 6 Kms.
The East Singhbhum district administration had made elaborate arrangements to ensure peace during the religious rally . Smaller rallies were also taken out from from different pockets of steel city, including Jugsalai, Barinagar, Golmuri, Kitadih, Bhalubasa, Tinplate, Mango, Azadnagar, Jawaharnagar and Kadma which converged at the Dhatkidih Community Centre at 12.30 pm.
Jawans of district police, Quick Response Team ( QRT) and Rapid Action Force ( RAF) were deployed at strategic points, especially in places like the entrances of the Jubilee Park , Bistupur Main Road, Jaiprakash Narayan Setu and Jugsalai roundabouts.
Senior police officers had also turned up on the road to ensure that revelers who were on bikes and four-wheelers proceed towards Dhatkidih community centre in a peaceful manner.
SSP Prabhat Kumar himself monitored security arrangements accompanied by senior officers. At the Jaiprakash Narayan Setu and the stretch near Centre For Excellence, the officers intercepted several unruly participants and warned them to ride properly on the road.
"The Eid Milad-un-Nabi was peacefully celebrated in the city. Though there was a huge turnout there was no untoward incident reported during the rally," said the official.
Vehicular traffic in most parts of the city was hectic as revelers had occupied the roads by riding decorated trailers, four-wheelers and bikes in hundreds in number. Though there were very few participants who were considerate enough to let commuters pass through the convoys of trailers and cars, the common people, especially the women and children had to experience difficulty in passing through the crowded streets.
The main rally emerged from Mango at 9.30 am, when thousands of rallies marched toward Sakchi by chanting slogans commemorating Prophet Mohammed. The rally first reached the Aam Bagan ground at 11.30 am. After a brief stay there, the participants started marching toward Dhatkidih where they reached by 12.30 pm. The revelers from Kitadih, Barinagar and Jugsalai directly reached Dhatkidih by crossing through the Bistupur Main Road. For the smooth sailing of the rally through the Bistupur Main Road, the administration had diverted the vehicular traffic through a bypass road. By 2.30 pm the religious congregation was over.
The Eid Milad-un-Nabi was organised by Tanzib Ahle Sunnat O Jammat, a religious outfit headed by Zawal Mustafa. During the religious discourse, Manzar Mohsin, the head clergy of Mecca Masjid, Sakchi called upon the participants to follow the path of peace and humanity, which was the main thrust of Prophet Mohammed.