Tight police bandobast during chief minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Udvada on Sunday was a nightmarish experience for a large number of Parsis. However, police defended the arrangement saying it was necessary from security point of view.
"I didn’t know it was going to be a troublesome affair. I had to walk all the way from Iranshah to the venue. I was exhausted," said Gulbani Irani, 83, who had come from Iran.
Gulistan Daruwala, 57, who is from Pune, visits Udvada every month. She had come to the town leaving her 101-year-old mother at home. It was similar to a punishment, she said, adding "Had I known this is what I would have to suffer here, I would have cancelled my visit."
Police did not allow any vehicle at Udvada town. Around 300 vehicles had come from outside the town. The event organisers had arranged auto-rickshaws to the venue. But the auto-rickshaws were not allowed upto the event.
"I can hardly walk with the stick. However, the police did not listen and forced me to get down from the rickshaw. I requested them to allow me to go in the auto but they refused to listen," said Dhanjisha Tawadia, 83, from Mumbai.
For Thrity Khambhata, 65, of Nasik, it was like a humiliation. "I had to go through so much pain at the holy place. We had come from such a long distance. But we were forced to move out of our holy place because of politicians. I want to complain but don’t know whom to approach," said Khambhata, who had come with a group of women.
