A pedestrian was knocked down and killed by a reckless motorist on Lalit Mahal road recently and in the aftermath, a crowd driven by vested interests butchered thirty two roadside trees even as the police who were there in strength watched mutely. Mysore Grahakara Parishat after a great deal of reflection on this matter, its adverse implications on the environment, future development of the city and law and order in the city decided to hold a meeting at the Arch Gate on the road this morning (January 20) to mourn these developments. But shockingly, the police, at the last moment refused permission to hold this meeting.
MGP submitted a request for permission on January 18 and since it assured in its letter that the meeting would be a quiet mourning meeting with no disturbance and no hindrance to traffic, it assumed that the request would be routinely granted. But at about 8.30 PM on eve of the proposed meeting, the police called MGP and said that its request had been rejected. When asked the reason for the denial of permission, he referred it to his deputy commissioner, Sri. Ravi Kanthe Gowda.
When contacted, Sri. Ravi Kanthe Gowda said that he would allow a demonstration at K.R. Circle. We told him that the event took place on Lalit Mahal Road and that it made no sense to have a mourning meeting at K.R. Circle.
During the conversation it was clear that the DC was very upset at MGP's statement that the police stood and watched while the lawbreakers were vandalizing the trees. His argument was that the police had prevented the crowd from cutting trees! But none of the media which covered the event saw it that way. Photographs which appeared in the papers show armed police watching passively while the trees were felled.
Since the refusal to give permission came so late, MGP had a tough time calling its members and other like-minded people and inform them that the programme was cancelled. When the few who were not informed went to the venue on the 20th, they were misinformed by the police there that the protest had been shifted to K.R.Circle.
It is ironic that the police in Mysore who are supposed to be the upholders of law and order do not interfere when people cut 32 trees in clear violation of the law, but do not allow law-abiding citizens to hold a peaceful meeting. If law-violators are encouraged and law-abiders are suppressed by the police themselves, the future does not look bright.
Dr.Bhamy V Shenoy, Mysore Grahakara Parishat