By Omprakash
According to District Magistrate of Mathura, about 35 lakh devotees were expected to visit Shri Krishnajanmasthan on Krishna Janmasthami, which was celebrated on September 7 this year. But hardly 12 lakh people could do so. This does not mean that the people have suddenly lost faith in Krishna. The fact is that the harassment of pilgrims in the name of security, forced them to defer their visit to the shrine. Disgusted with the behaviour of the security personnel, people who prefer to visit their nearby temples instead of going all the way to Mathura. Not only on the Janmasthami day but during normal visits also the pilgrims return with bitter memories of their visit to Mathura. Last year a female principal of a senior secondary school was alleged to be a pick-pocket by the security staff and put behind the bars.
This is a fact that Lord Krishna was born in the jail of Kansa, about 5,000 years ago. But the present police and security personnel patrolling on the roads leading to Janmasthan, resort to screening of devotees at two points, through close-circuit TVs to keep a watch on the devotees with policemen standing everywhere?a scene similar to a prison in which Lord Krishna was born. The question that arises is why and for whom are all these security arrangements meant? Is it for the protection of Janmasthan or for the protection of devotees?
?It is for none. It is just to harass us. It appears the local administration does not want us to visit the holy shrine and have darshan of our Lord Krishna,? said a devotee, standing in the queue at the temple. There are nine prominent temples at Janmasthan and lakhs of people visit the shrine daily.
