Udupi Car Street is  Now ‘Vehicle-free High-security Zone’
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Dec 10: The district administration has decided to declare Car Street area in the town as ‘vehicle-free, high security zone’ as Srikrishna Mutt and other religious places located here are thought to be facing a grave threat from the terrorists. District deputy commissioner, P Hemalata, had convened a meeting in her office on Wednesday December 9 to provide various details worked out for enforcing the said decision.

Superintendent of police (SP), Pravin Madhukar Pawar, informed that gates would be erected at six entry points to the Car Street, ie., Tenkapet, Badagupet, Kanakadasa Road, Backside of Rajaangan, Vidyodaya School and the backside of  Pejawar Mutt. Metal detectors would be installed in all these gates for checking the people, he said.

The deputy commissioner said that to obviate the difficulties faced by the businessmen of the area, vehicles would be allowed to have access to the area once every day.

“We know that the merchants will be hit hard. But the vehicular entry is being banned as per the instructions from the central intelligence, state level officials etc. Car Street, which houses Sri Krishna Mutt, eight Mutts apart from several other temples and a couple of other Mutts, is the most sensitive area in the world. Terrorists tend to select such spots for striking.  The businessmen of the area and individuals living here will be issued identity cards in order not to inconvenience them. The people should understand the seriousness of the issue and cooperate with the administration,” requested MLA, Raghupati Bhat.

The SP claimed that the raw materials for the bombs which went off at Surat and Delhi had been supplied from Udupi, while the MLA said that the terrorists had visited the town during the last Paryaya, but nothing untoward happened, as they could not get the gilletin sticks on time.

Advocate Janardhan Bhandarkar, who participated in the meeting, opposed the decision, saying that this would create problems for the people visiting banks, educational institutions etc., located at Car Street. Free movement is the fundamental right of the people; Will you be able to provide the same kind of security if some other religious places too face such threat? Such a proposal had been mooted earlier too, and once the Madras High Court had got the wooden door erected to restrict entry to the area removed, he said.

Premanand Kalmady expressed the opinion that barring entry of vehicles tantamount to human rights violation, which can be questioned in courts. Amrut Shenoy said that blocking the vehicles in the area would automatically increase rush in other places. Some people said that Car Street is a part of the state highway, that can not be kept out of reach for vehicles. Demand for exmeption for handicapped and old people were also made.

It is proposed to enforce the said restrictions with effect from January 5, 2010.