Posing a straight challenge to law enforcing authority and municipality members, some influential people, forcefully opened “shoe-stand” in front of the famous Lord Jagannath Temple of Puri. The shoe stand is straight in front of “Patitapabana” in front of auspicious Lord of Universe “Lord Jagannath”. In earlier times, some parts of famous “Emara Matha” was broken into to make way widen the road in front of temple, and in this way the primary aim was to clear the “forced occupation” in front of Lord Jagannath Temple as well as to restore sanctity of this famous Heritage.
Desire is the obstacle to liberation:
Some influential people energized from the support of political power have created a shop through invading ten feet of the grand road just in front of “Patitapabana” of Lord Jagannath Temple. Powerful, political people are creating all these harakiri straight under the nose of the law enforcing authorities and municipality people. Now, good citizens of this ancient town are questioning the ability of both these institutions who have sole responsibility to promote peaceful environments in and around all these areas.
At the grand road of Puri, in front of the famous Lord Jagannath Temple, are being difficult to manage due to the advent of large scale of population from around the world and now with these forced occupation, slowly grand road is converting into a narrow lane. Government agencies are surprisingly silent on these matters. Due to large khaja-pati” in front of Emara Math, the entire area became a narrow zone, and in 2012, administration breaks 15 feet areas of this famous heritage in order to widen the road, but after that the same khaja shop keepers are back in those places and it is being said in people’s circle as all these shops are being protected by influential political people.
Emara Math is a 700 year old heritage and the administration did not think twice before breaking some parts of it but now in those parts people from political parties are making a show stand and that is narrowing the line of the grand road. Earlier, it was decided that the areas which have been broken is to be assimilated with roads but after almost one year there is no single decision which leads it to this manner. The administration failed to take back those forced occupation and the incident is now almost two years old.
So, now the question arises, if the government could not enforce the law of the land there, then why a glorious history of 700 years of a myth is to be broken in parts? There are many unanswered questions which are yet to be solved and how to find all these answers and why the administration is not dispersing forced occupation in and around areas of splendid road just in front of the famous Lord Jagannath temple is still not answered. Those khaja shops have opened their temporary shops in those areas and that part of temple land is being taken over them and the road in those parts is being similarly covered and in day time the traffic becomes extremely difficult to control in and around in those areas. Those khaja shopkeepers have blessings of political people and they are openly selling these by openly violating laws of lands.
Now the shoe-stand in those locations have advanced five feet creating many blockages in and around areas nearer to this illustrious Lord Jagannath Temple. Now, from Sunday, a new show stand nearer to famous Emara math which is now advancing 10 feet towards the road and it is making many difficulties to people. People are questioning shoe-stand in front of Lord Jagannath Temple and raising the issue of ethics from them. Countless people believe a shoe stand just in front of Lord Jaganath Temple is unethical and unjust and this should be removed straight away without any delay. In order to earn money, influential people advanced this show stand nearer to the road and virtually near to Jagannath temple but law enforcing authority and municipality is not listening to what people are worried about.
Devotees from all around the world questioning on what morality and on what basis law enforcing authority and municipality have become silent spectators to all these misguided acts? Law enforcing authorities are saying what should we do, it is primarily the job of municipality but they are remaining silent as it is evident as most of their members are patronizing these shops, and why they should be stopping as it is their primary personal revenue generation elements.
Law enforcing authorities are stopped by big political powers and for this they could not stop these shops from mushrooming in these holy areas. They are saying the administration has to help them in order to act and it is true as administration is stopping them and in a way of handicapping them from performing these tasks. Higher law enforcing authorities are saying they are aware of these matters and they are considering action against those forced occupants.
Auspicious Sunday and traffic problems:
At this auspicious Sunday, in the month of Pusha or January in English, many influential people reached Jagannath temple and their vehicles have covered most portions of the grand road and closing half of width of the road and creating undesired traffic problems in and around these areas. Traffic police became a mute spectator and could not stop anarchy of lands in and around in these areas. People have been worried about all these rush hours and have difficult to find the way out from these rush places. In a private convention hall near to badashankha, there was a get together and many influential people all around attended the meeting.
Political class also joined these meetings. All those influential people have parked their vehicles in the middle of the road thus obstructing basic communication medium available to people. Almost half portion of the road had been covered by their vehicle. No one from the municipality as well as law enforcing authorities who have been travelling in these roads lodged complain or take any action on these people. On this Sunday many people reached to Puri to have pious glance of Lord Jagannath and this adds a problem as most roads have been taken over by vehicles of these influential people as well as shops for these forced occupants. Traffic police are facing huge difficulties in controlling devotees, but they are not taking action against those influential people who have parked their vehicle in the middle of roads.
One person collided with auto taxi due to intemperate rush and unable to find a free space for these mob. Cars are parked where people tend to walk and for this he just has to change the side of walking and running auto from other side collided with him. Law enforcing authorities are trying to convey all these messages to influential people, but they have not listened to their request. Inside the convention hall many considerate people are there and for this they are unable to convey these messages to them. Due to huge number of vehicles stranded there it is virtually impossible to control vehicles out there as one writer is not sufficient to control already huge number of cars.
Originally published at https://mohanmekap.com on June 21, 2019.
