Droho carnival gets a green signal from HC
In a dramatic legal twist, the Calcutta High Court has approved the controversial Droho Carnival, dismissing objections and leaving protestors jubilant.
In what can only be described as a veritable circus of legal wrangling, the Calcutta High Court has given the green light for the much-debated Droho Carnival to proceed, much to the dismay of the Attorney General. He huffed and puffed in protest, but alas, his concerns fell on deaf ears. To add to the drama, the court promptly dismissed a request for a stay on its order, leaving protestors grinning like Cheshire cats in a moment of triumph.
For the uninitiated, the Droho Carnival isn’t your average street festival with fairy lights and candy floss. It comes with a hefty side of social commentary, civil disobedience, and the sort of public unrest that would make any respectable bureaucrat break into a cold sweat. While the protestors are raising a toast to their legal victory, Kolkata’s law enforcement is in something of a flap.
Earlier, the Kolkata Police, never ones to be caught with their feet up, invoked Section 163 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, across nine key locations. These include the notorious Rani Rashmoni Avenue, a focal point for the ongoing protests near RG Kar Medical College.
In a bid to keep the peace during the Immersion Carnival on Red Road, the police took it upon themselves to prevent gatherings of five or more people in these areas. After all, with towering idols making their slow, grand procession to their watery farewell, the last thing the city needs is a mob of protestors throwing a spanner in the works.
An official statement from the police, which read rather like a headmaster trying to wrangle an unruly sports day, explained: “It is necessary for preventing danger, obstruction, or inconvenience to the public in connection with the ‘Immersion Carnival’ on Red Road, Kolkata, on October 15.”
But despite the ominous warnings from the boys in blue, the High Court wasn’t having any of it. In a solemn decree, it made it crystal clear that none shall disrupt the carnival, which the government organises as part of its annual ritual – and one imagines the word “ritual” was uttered with the sort of gravitas usually reserved for secret rites under the light of a full moon.
In the ever-colourful tapestry of Kolkata’s legal and cultural landscape, this latest episode is but another lively thread. While the Immersion Carnival is about tradition, the Droho Carnival is about challenging the concept of party at this hour– and, in true Kolkata fashion, both will unfold with equal parts drama, passion, and just a dash of chaos.
Picture Sources Bangla Hunt
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