Beijing should be pleased, Delhi set to cut torch route to just 3 safe km

Because of the shorter route, the number of torchbearers would also have to be limited. Last time, 105 people had run with the torch but as a source put it, for a three-km route, it would be difficult to accommodate more than 10-15 runners.

The issue was discussed at length at a meeting chaired by National Security Advisor M K Narayanan today. Based on inputs of the security agencies, the meeting is said to have thrown up the Rajpath route as the most plausible choice.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA), whose president Suresh Kalmadi was present at the NSA’s meeting today, had earlier proposed to start the relay at a landmark historical monument like the Red Fort and end it at India Gate. The torch relay for the Athens Olympic Games in 2004 had started from Qutub Minar and ended at National Stadium after passing through a number of major landmarks in the city.

But such a route would have made it extremely difficult for security forces to ensure that there was no flag-waving or slogan-shouting from Tibetans or their sympathizers. On the other hand, access to the three-km stretch on Rajpath can easily be controlled.

Sources told The Indian Express that it is proposed that security forces take over the lawns on both sides of Rajpath and surrounding India Gate 24 hours in advance.

The government’s determination to prevent any protests during the torch relay stems from its anxiousness to avoid situations like the one witnessed at the Chinese Embassy some days back when some Tibetans had scaled the walls.

China had taken a serious view of such protests and even summoned the Indian ambassador in Beijing at the middle of night to convey its displeasure. Chinese ambassador in India Zhang Yan then met Home Minister Shivraj Patil and expressed his country’s concerns over the safety of the torch in India.

While the government’s objective is likely to be fulfilled, such a short run for the Olympic torch is not something that will make the IOA very happy. In fact, Kalmadi stressed that as of now the Rajpath route was not final and some other, longer, routes were also under consideration.