Mangalore: Invited to See Warships, but Denied Entry into Port

News: The Hindu
Pics: Dayananda Kukkaje

MANGALORE, Dec 17: Ramesh L. came all the way from Bangalore to the New Mangalore Port on Sunday to watch the battleships. However, he was disappointed because the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel denied entry to him and hundreds of other people who had travelled long distances to watch the warships.

The Deputy Commissioner’s office and the Indian Navy had invited people to the public viewing which was given wide publicity in the media.

People had come from places such as Hassan, Shimoga, Udupi and Karwar.

A number of people who had come for the Kannada Sahitya Sammelan in Udupi stayed back for the public viewing. However, the stern, gun-totting guards replied firmly: “The public cannot be allowed inside the port. We do not take orders from the Indian Navy or the Deputy Commissioner.”

People started arriving for the event by around 9 a.m. and even after they were denied permission they hung around in the blistering heat hoping that the guards would relent. The police arrived on the scene and did the job of carrying messages between the people and the CISF head who was somewhere inside the port. Deputy Commandant of the CISF S.S. Mishra finally appeared before the crowd at 1.30 p.m.

“If you want we can let your children inside,” he said, much to the dismay of the people. “You want us to let our children go inside without our supervision? Who will bear responsibility if something goes wrong?” the people shouted back. Mr. Mishra, however, remained unmoved. “The ships are open to the public, but the port is not. The port can never be opened to the public under any circumstances,” he said. “This is the Deputy Commissioner’s mistake. One word from higher officials can solve the problem, but they are not willing to act,” said Chandrashekhar, who had come from Bhatkal.

Vasantha Rai, who had come along with her husband and children, said, “I was allowed inside the port along with the public on earlier occasions. I don’t know why the guards are behaving in such a manner now.” A dejected Ramesh said, “I love ships. I always wanted to join the Navy, but could not because of family pressure. When I heard about the public viewing of warships, I packed my bags and came to Mangalorefrom Bangalore.”

Deputy Commissioner M. Maheshwar Rao regretted the inconvenience caused to the public and said that only school and college students would be allowed on Monday.

New Mangalore Port Trust Chairman P. Tamilvanan said students who produced their school or college identity cards were taken in three buses of the Indian Navy, and one from the port took the children from the gate to the place where the ships were docked. This would hold good for Monday also.

He pointed out that the Director General of Shipping had heightened security of ports from level one to level two, and, therefore, public could not be allowed inside.