How Mumbai police ensured the Maratha protest remained peaceful

Mumbai: With thousands of Marathas converging in Mumbai to join Manoj Jarange-led quota protest, the city police's efficient and tactful handling of the crowd ensured the situation remained largely peaceful during the five-day-long stir.

The situation never went out of control during the protest held at Azad Maidan, located close to the iconic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) building in south Mumbai.

Jarange began his hunger strike for the Maratha reservation demand on August 29, and called it off on Tuesday afternoon with the state government accepting most of his demands.

As he launched his indefinite fast last week, protesters from across Maharashtra arrived at the venue to express solidarity with him.

They were seen thronging main junctions in south Mumbai, causing traffic snarls during the morning peak hours. Many of them went inside the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) complex, even sleeping on platforms by spreading mats.

Before the scheduled agitation at Azad Maidan, the Mumbai police made preparations about handling protesters and held meetings with the core team of Jarange, an official said on Tuesday.

More than 1,500 police personnel were deployed at the Azad Maidan along with one company each of the CRPF, CISF and RAF along with SRPF, Riot Control Police and Maharashtra Security Force.

The police had given permission for a one-day protest on August 29, allowing only 5,000 protesters for the agitation at Azad Maidan. But as the agitation began, over 60,000 persons gathered in the city in 8,000 vehicles, which blocked all roads leading to the protest site, the official said.

Traffic congestion was witnessed in south Mumbai, which led to route diversions.

The police kept monitoring the situation through CCTVs installed in south Mumbai, besides using drones, the official said.

The protesters were not in a mood of moving out of Azad Maidan till their demands are fulfilled. Sometimes, they were even seen blocking the roads, dancing and playing, cooking food in public places.

There were instances where protesters blocked the traffic and were adamant that they would move aside only if Jarange instructs them, even as senior officers, including Joint Commissioner of Police Satya Narayan Choudhary, Additional CP Abhinav Deshmukh and DCP Pravin Mundhe, were seen at the spot.

DCP Mundhe immediately made a video call to Jarange, who then asked the protesters to cooperate with the police, following which they moved aside.

In the last five days, there were instances in which various groups of protesters agitated in front of the Mantralaya (secretariat), Bombay Stock Exchange, were seen roaming along the Marine Drive, Jehangir Art Gallery, Giragon Chowpatty and Gateway of India, but police controlled the crowd and were seen requesting them to take precautions.

A similar situation was seen at the CSMT, which virtually became a large camp and a shelter place for the agitators. Hundreds of them occupied platforms, due to which the Government Railway Police (GRP), headed by Rakesh Kalasagar, put in place adequate security arrangements, the official said.

The Bombay High Court on Monday noted the city was "literally paralysed" due to the Maratha agitation, which violated all conditions, and gave an opportunity to Jarange and protesters to ensure all streets were vacated and cleaned up by Tuesday noon.

"The situation is grim. Every street, especially in the entire region of the Azad Maidan, CSMT, Mantralaya, Flora Fountain, Marine Drive, P Demello Road, is flooded with protesters who are on the streets, dancing, playing kabbadi, cooking food, bathing on the main roads and so on," the HC said.

On Tuesday, the HC directed Jarange and his supporters to vacate Azad Maidan by 3 pm or face action.

The court also directed the government and police to take steps in accordance with law against Jarange and his supporters for violation of the protest conditions.

Accordingly, the Mumbai police denied permission to extend the protest for one more day and asked Jarange and his core team to vacate the Azad Maidan at the earliest.

The situation became more tense when the HC asked the government to clear the roads before 3 pm on Tuesday, following which senior police officials again started going around asking protesters to remove their vehicles from the roads in front of Azad Maidan and CSMT.

Police were seen making announcements on public systems to remove the vehicles and asking the agitators to park them in neighbouring Navi Mumbai.

"After the crowd thinned out and protesters vacated the entire Azad Maidan area on Tuesday, Joint CP Choudhary visited the spot to appreciate the police personnel's efforts.

"All of you gave your best, you all handled the situation well. I am proud of you all," he told them.

Talking to PTI, another senior police official said, "Despite such large number of protesters gathering around one spot, the situation never really went out of hand. The police managed to handle the situation well and in a skilful manner, which ensured there was no friction."