The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Rama Gopalan, Munnani activists held for taking prohibited route

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 27, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Rama Gopalan, Munnani activists held for taking prohibited route

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, SEPT. 26. Hundreds of Vinayakar idols were immersed in the sea at designated points of Chennai today even as a group of Hindu Munnani activists were arrested at Triplicane in the evening when they attempted to pass through a prohibited route.

The activists, led by their convener, Rama Gopalan, were held at the Triplicane High Road and Pycrofts Road junction in the evening on charge of violating prohibitory orders when they attempted to take out a procession through a prohibited route. Accompanying the group were the BJP State president, C.P. Radhakrishnan, BJP national secretary L. Ganesan, and MLA H. Raja.

Talking to reporters before the arrest, Mr. Rama Gopalan said they had talks with the police for the past two months to allow the procession through the Triplicane High Road. Restraining them would amount to fanning the various terrorist groups operating in the country.

Throughout the day, several groups of devotees thronged the beach front with idols of various sizes, a majority of them made of plaster of Paris.

Immersion of idols made of plaster of Paris and painted with chemical dyes were banned by the High Court. Police officials said preventing immersion of the idols would hurt religious sentiments of the devotees.

Since morning, several hundreds of idols queued up at the designated immersion points — Srinivasapuram near Foreshore Estate, Fishing Harbour Wharf at Kasimedu, and Ondikuppam and Brokenship area at Tiruvottiyur. Cranes with a capacity to lift 60 tonnes worked overtime to haul the idols into the sea. Volunteers from the Friends of Police lent a helping hand in immersing the idols. At Ondikuppam and Foreshore estate, idols were taken into the sea on catamarans. At the entrance of every immersion point, the police recorded details of the number of idols and the place they came from.

A devotee from Washermanpet who accompanied a dozen others to immerse an 11-foot idol, said the idol was made of plaster of Paris, as were most others. Making idols with clay was not feasible as clay would not withstand for a week and crumble during transportation. Use of chemical dyes and plaster of Paris alone gave the desired finish, he said.

Traffic arrangement

The police said they made elaborate arrangements to ensure free flow of traffic but traffic jams and sudden diversions were witnessed at several stretches. At Foreshore Estate, buses plying on Santhome High Road were diverted through Mandaveli to join Kamarajar Salai at Gandhi Statue.

On the city outskirts, idols were immersed at Ennore and Neelankarai. More than 700 idols were immersed in the city and its suburbs.

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