MUMBAI, 14 September 2007 — Acting on intelligence reports, the government of Maharashtra has ordered its security forces to be on high alert on the eve of Ramadan and the 11-day major Hindu festival of Ganesh Chaturthi.
For the first time in several years, both festivals are to coincide, with Ramadan beginning today in India and the Ganesh festival beginning tomorrow.
To avert potential communal conflicts or acts of terror during both the festivals, the cities of Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Raigad, Nashik, Aurangabad, Nanded, Parbhani, Akola and Nagpur have been placed on high alert. Police are also taking precautionary measures to detain people considered potential troublemakers.
A top ranking police official told Arab News that taking into consideration the sensitivities of the situation, a large number of police and paramilitary forces would be deployed to maintain law and order.
Intelligence officials will also keep an eye on the movement of people in and around mosques, temples, train and bus stations, crowded places, airports, and at lodges and hotels. Police patrols will be intensified in trouble-prone areas.
“We have been warned by intelligence agencies of the possibilities of terror strikes in some cities. Necessary steps have been taken to thwart attempts by terrorists to make trouble in the state,” said a senior police officer. He added that plainclothes policemen would be posted near mosques and sites where Ganesh idols will be on show.
Organizers of the Ganesh festival have been asked to spare about 15 volunteers to help police at sites where the Ganesh functions will take place. The organizers have also been directed to maintain constant and regular contact with local police stations and have been provided with a list of recommendations.
Private security agencies have also volunteered to provide security guards to assist police, which have requested around 5,000 private guards from the private security agencies association.
Police chiefs of sensitive districts had called a meeting of prominent citizens from the Muslim and Hindu community and appealed to them for help in maintaining peace during the holy month of Ramadan and the Hindu festival. Leaders of both the communities have given assurances that they will do their best to ensure both festivals pass peacefully.
