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Vishwanath Gali traders threaten self-immolation
PEEVED AT the alleged atrocities by the district administration in the name of ?enhanced security?, some traders and local residents of nearby areas of the ancient Kashi Vishwanath Temple have decided to commit self-immolation at different places in Varanasi on Republic Day on Thursday to register their protest .
PEEVED AT the alleged atrocities by the district administration in the name of ‘enhanced security’, some traders and local residents of nearby areas of the ancient Kashi Vishwanath Temple have decided to commit self-immolation at different places in Varanasi on Republic Day on Thursday to register their protest.
The posters threatening commitment of Vishwanath Gali traders and residents to self-immolate themselves against the alleged atrocities by the district administration have been pasted on the walls of the surrounding areas of Kashi Vishawanath Temple-Gyanwapi Complex.
Following the threatening of locals for self-immolation, the district administration came on its toes and enhanced the security of the complex to avert the attempt of self-immolation on Republic Day. The security personnel were engaged to remove the posters.
The local residents are demanding the district administration to open the peripheral routes of Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanwapi Complex like Saraswati Phatak, Neelkanth Lane, Kalika Lane etc. and removal of pass system to allow entry to local residents and traders.
It may be mentioned that the district administration had enhanced security of the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanwapi Complex after the terrorist attack at the disputed structure in Ayodhya in 2005.
On condition of anonymity, one of the members of the committee said that there was no option left for the residents and traders of the Vishwanath Lane other than to commit self immolation because the enhanced security had worsened their lives. “It is our last weapon to register our protest by self immolating us against the atrocities of the district administration at the Kashi Vishwanath temple in the name of enhanced security,” he said.
In order to intensify their agitation, the local traders and residents also formed a Kashi Vishwanath Temple-Gyanwapi Mosque Sadbhawana Samiti. The delegation of Sadbhawna Samiti also met Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi few months back in this regard but nothing has been done yet to pacify the demands of locals.
By keeping their names hidden, the local traders and residents have forwarded a demand letter to the Prime Minister, UPA chairperson, President of India and chief minister. They demanded that if the demands of traders were not fulfilled till today, they would commit self-immolation in Varanasi on Thursday.
“We are trying to convince the trader leaders and assured them that their sentiments will be forwarded to the higher authorities as the issue of opening of channel gates was to be taken at the highest level keeping in view the sensitivity of the area,” JK Tiwari, additional SP Gyanwapi-Vishwanath Temple complex told HT.
