A smooth ride at the mela,thanks to election code of conduct

The election code of conduct,in force at present,came as a blessing in disguise for the devotees visiting the Mansa Devi temple on the first day of the Navratra Mela. For,political leaders kept away from the shrine,a rarity since till last year the mela was being inaugurated either by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda or his wife Asha.

“Last year,we had to wait for at least two hours for the VVIPs to first visit the temple. It is the general public who has to suffer because of the presence of politicians,mainly because of tight security,” said Sudha Verma,a Kharar resident visiting the mela. She added that the code of conduct proved a boon as they could easily visit the shrine without having to wait for long.

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“Politicians are given such special treatment. They are made to sit inside the main chamber of the shrine to seek the blessings of the goddess. But the common man is not even allowed to have a peek properly. We are pushed away by workers of the board on duty,reducing the duration of darshan to a mere few seconds,” another devotee,Vikas Mehndiratha,said. There is also a flip side. Because of the code of conduct and non-presence of political bigwigs,the mela lacked its usual luster and arrangements,Mehndiratha added.

Other devotees,while complaining about the rude attitude of police personnel at the mela,said social orgainisations and NGOs should be involved for managing crowds instead of cops.