‘ Off- limit’ area upsets pilgrims

With Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari embarking on his first ever visit to India and hoping for a thaw in relations of the two countries, the national media is out in numbers at the shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer.

The OB vans of several dozen channels can be seen vying for space in the narrow backlanes of Dargah Bazaar. Some regional channels got the most prime locations for parking their OB vans behind the dargah.

The national channels were seen arriving late at the scene and hence were not allowed by the administration to park their vehicles in the vicinity of the dargah. It is understood that over a 100 journalists from both the electronic and print media are in Ajmer to cover the major event.

For ordinary pilgrims visiting the shrine, it was a spectacle of sorts as several reporters did their walk- throughs and PTCS in front of the Nizam Gate, the grand entrance to the shrine where the Pakistani President will pay obeisance on Sunday. Several of these pilgrims and shopkeepers in the area were also seen expressing their displeasure at the area being made off- limits.

“Where is the need for cordoning off the entire area for so many hours? This means that several people who didn’t know about the arrival of the Pakistan President to the shrine will now need to stay back for another day,” stated Shahid Khan, a pilgrim from Allahabad.

The local people, too, were not enthusiastic at the prospect of becoming virtual prisoners for over two hours, since all residents of nearby houses have been asked to stay put in their houses.

“We are not terrorists. Then where is the need to confine us to our houses? The police is going overboard in its attempts to provide security,” said Asharful Hasan, a resident of Dargah Bazaar.