Rule of law clashes with sentiment

Hyderabad: The decision of the Supreme Court not to allow immersion of idols of Ganesha in Hussain Sagar lake in Hyderabad has now caused a peculiar situation as the date for immersion is fast approaching. The immersion of all major idols is to be done on September 9.

In view of this order, the administration has created several ponds in different places including one at Necklace Road. Though it has placed three cranes as of now on the Tank Bund, only small clay idols below 10 feet are being immersed in the tank.

The big question now is what would happen on September 9 which would be the big day when the Shobha Yatra of idols from various parts of the city would be taken out. About 75 percent of the idols, including the tallest Khairtabad Ganesha, would be immersed on that day.

The Bhagyanagar Utsav Samiti is clueless about how to organize the immersion day activities.

It is not clear if the Khairatabad Ganesha made of clay would be allowed to be immersed in the Hussain Sagar lake or not. Immersion of such huge idols in small ponds will become a big problem, they say. Another issue is about the Balapur Ganesha which is made of PoP. This idol cannot be immersed in Hussain Sagar. Normally it is brought all the way from Balapur to Hussain Sagar in a procession after the auction of popular laddu. What is to be done now is the dilemma for the organizers. The ponds, the Utsav Samiti claims, are not big enough for the immersion of big PoP idols.

As the small idols are being brought for immersion, police are directing them toward the nearby ponds created by the GHMC. In view of this, the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi would meet on Monday to discuss the way forward. Samithi secretary and VHP leader Ravinutala Shashidhar alleged that the government had misguided them on the arrangements.

The government had assured that it would make all arrangements for the smooth immersion of idols when the Samithi leaders mentioned about the court order. But the arrangements are lackadaisical, he alleged. The Samithi wants the government to respect the sentiments of the people and issue an ordinance as the Tamil Nadu government had done on Jallikattu.