They say they won’t be able to find Govindas to replace the under-18 age group that makes up the upper tiers in their human pyramid for the festival
A Jogeshwari-based Govinda pathak has approached the Supreme Court, seeking relief this year saying they won’t be able to find Govindas to replace the under-18 age group that climbs to be the upper tiers of the human pyramids during the Dahi Handi festival. Meanwhile, another petitioner has approached the Bombay High Court, claiming that the state government has failed to form a local monitoring committee, that is supposed to be responsible for reporting violations during the festival on its (HC’s) orders.
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The Supreme Court recently upheld the orders of the HC, which restricted human pyramids higher than 20 feet and participation of children below age 18. File picture
“We have approached the Supreme Court, which recently upheld the orders of the Bombay High Court, which restricted human pyramids higher than 20 feet and participation of children below age 18. As very little time is left, it is not possible for us to bring in new Govindas that can replace the under-18 group that mainly constitutes the upper tier of the human pyramid,” said David Fernandez, member of Jogeshwari-based Jai Jawan Govinda Pathak, that has to its credit a Guinness World Record of forming a human pyramid 43.79 feet tall in the Dahi Handi festival.
“We have not been given a chance to represent our side by the SC and we want relief on these grounds this year. We will represent ourselves in October in the SC,” said Fernandez.
They have asked the SC bench of Justice AR Dave and L Nageshwar Rao for relaxation of the conditions on Wednesday as the festival of Dahi Handi will be celebrated on the birth date of Lord Krishna on August 25.
The Supreme Court bench will decide on the application of Jai Jawan Mandal on Wednesday.
Petitioner activist Swati Patil of Utkarsh Mahilla Samajik Sanstha, has also approached the Bombay High Court, claiming that the state is yet to constitute a local monitoring committee as per its (HC) orders of August 11, 2014. The committee was to consist of an in-charge of the local police station, a ward officer of the corporation and a local elected representative or such other person who is respected in the locality, provided he doesn’t have any criminal record.
“This committee should have been formed by the state, but now the order of the Supreme Court is already out. The committee can be formed in all wards and will keep a check on violations if any, and report them to the police stations,” said Patil. Apart from this, the HC Justices VM Kanade and PD Kode had also asked the mandals to have helmets, safety belts and cushion layers at the venue of the pyramids, which no mandal is ready to do as of now, said Patil. The HC had also asked for medical ambulances at every Dahi Handi venue, free medical kits and insurance for every Govinda.
“The state government needs to make sure that every mandal follows the rules. Actually the state should have made it clear in 2014, but the state is itself sitting on the orders, and does not care about people’s lives before its political interest. We are aware that one of the mandals has gone to the apex court challenging its order, but an experienced mandal like Jai Jawan practices, and there are no injuries in such mandals. They also provide good facilities. We are concerned about the local mandals who put up the pyramid without practice, due to which there are casualties,” said Patil.
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