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Mumbai mandals on high alert: Women's safety is top priority during visarjan

Updated on: 08 September,2014 06:51 AM IST |
Chetna Sadadekar | chetna.sadadekar@mid-day.com

Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti, the umbrella body for Ganesh mandals in the city, has asked mandals to beef up security to ensure women devotees’ safety during today’s processions

As the city gears up to bid adieu to the elephant-headed god, Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti, the umbrella body for Ganesh mandals in the city, has asked mandals falling under its ambit to implement additional security measures for safety of women devotees to avoid untoward incidents during today’s visarjan processions.

mid-day’s page 1 and page 2 report on September 20, 2013, on a woman molested by three perverts during the Lalbaugcha Raja visarjan. The shameful incident was captured on camera by mid-day lensman Atul Kamble

The association claimed that most of the meetings focused on providing safety to women devotees, who have complained about being harassed by male volunteers in the past. As a result, the renowned mandals from the city have increased the number of women volunteers.

Samanvay Samiti president Naresh Dahibavkar said, “Last year, we received too many complaints of manhandling of, and misbehaviour against, women devotees. Hence, in our meetings, we decided to ask mandals to increase the number of female volunteers to ensure smoother visarjan processions.”