Govindas may miss the glamour quotient and prize pools totalling crores of rupees during the dahi handi celebration this year, which will take place on the September 5-6 weekend. Mumbai and Thane’s costliest ‘Sangharsh’ dahi handi, will not take place this year because its organiser, NCP legislator Jitendra Awhad, wants the money collected for it to be used to help drought-affected people of the state. Most of the major organisers of dahi handis are politicians, and Awhad’s recent announcement caught them off guard, said a front-page report in this newspaper yesterday.

Awhad got plenty of flak and was accused by other politicians of doing some kind of ‘drama’ and not being genuine in his sudden concern for the drought-affected. There was also a dash of communalism, with a leader accusing Awhad of being ‘anti-Hindu’ because he scrapped the celebrations. While the political matches may be on, it is important to note that the courts have laid down strict rules for Govindas, which must be followed to the letter.