Mumbai: There was a drastic decline in the number of injured Govindas during the celebration of 'Dahi Handi' festival this year, due to the Supreme Court's cap on making human pyramids, up to 20 feet only. The sources in Disaster Management of Brihamumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said till 1700 hrs, a total of around 50 Govinda were injured, among them nine have been admitted to several hospitals in the city, following serious injuries, while the remaining were allowed to go home after preliminary treatment.
During the last year's celebrations, more than 300 youths were injured, while breaking the Dahi handi in the commercial capital of the country. Recently, the Bombay High Court had passed an order, putting a cap on the height of human pyramids not above 20 feet, as well as prohibiting the participation of boys under 18 years of age, resulting in drastic fall in the number of injuries this year.
FIR against Jai Jawan Mandal, 49 injured
In the first-ever instance in the history of the celebration of 'dahi Handi' festival in Maharashtra, a first information report (FIR) was registered against Jai Jawan Dahi Handi Mandal for alleged violation of the Supreme Court's order, by forming a human pyramid of more than 40 feet to break the 'Dahi Handi' at Naupada in neighboring ,Thane district this morning.
During the celebration of the festival, at least 49 Govindas were injured, nine of them seriously, while forming human pyramids in Mumbai and its surrounding areas today. Some of the injured were admitted at Sion, KEM and Nair hospitals. This year, the Dahi Handi was celebrated in a unique way to show their protest against the apex court's order, which put a restriction on forming of human pyramids not above 20 feet, as well as prohibited the participation of boys under 18 years of age in human pyramids.
In Dadar of central Mumbai, members of some Dahi Handi Mandals laid on the ground and performed a 'sleeping pyramid', exceeding the court norm of 20 feet. While another Mandal used a ladder to break the traditional 'pot' and also displayed a black flag apparently to protest against the apex court ruling on the festival. Interestingly, some enthusiastic women commuters had tied a Handi in a suburban local train compartment.
Thakre endorses: I will break the law
Paying heed to the order of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, party activist Avinash Jadhav had printed on T-shirt, "I will break the law. The Supreme Court cannot dictate how we celebrate our festivals. If I break the law, then I am willing to go to jail for this." There was also alleged violation of noise norms during the celebration of the Festival, with music being blared at almost 100 decibels, way beyond the permissible limit of 50 decibels, at different places, said cops. In Maharashtra on 'Janmashtmi', 'Dahi handis' or earthen pots filled with curd are strung high on poles. Human pyramids are built by participants, who call themselves 'Govindas' and compete to reach the pot and break it.(UNI)
