BJP's Save Democracy march snarls Nagpur traffic, Diwali shoppers stuck for hours

Traffic in Nagpur city was thrown into disarray on Thursday because of the BJP's "Save Democracy" march. Ordinary citizens bore the brunt of the party's show of strength. Between 30,000 and 35,000 workers from different districts of Vidarbha reached the city in more than 5,000 vehicles, creating long queues of vehicles on the main roads.

People who had left home for Diwali shopping were stuck in traffic for several hours. Questions are being raised over whether the inconvenience to the public was considered when such a large crowd was brought into the city for a political event.

Traffic came to a complete halt on the roads from Chhatrapati Chowk to Mankapur. The routes entering the city from Wardha Road were in the same state. A long line of vehicles stood between Janata Chowk and Samvidhan Chowk. The Kasturchand Park flyover, the flyover at LIC Chowk and the Adivasi Gowari flyover also saw heavy congestion. On many roads, the vehicles brought for the march clogged the city's everyday traffic so badly that motorists could not move forward.

The markets of Sitabuldi and Dhantoli were crowded with shoppers ahead of Diwali. With roads closed because of the march, people found it hard to reach the markets. Police had closed several roads, so people had to take long detours. Families out shopping, the elderly and children faced considerable difficulty. Traders, too, could suffer losses from the traffic jams during the festival season.

The Dhantoli and Ramdaspeth areas have several large private hospitals, where traffic is heavy in the evening anyway. The jam caused by the march also affected ambulances. The question has been raised whether separate lanes and adequate arrangements were made for emergency services while the roads were packed for a political event. If ambulances had to struggle through obstructions to reach hospitals, it raises questions about the claims made for traffic planning.

It had been announced that more than 700 police personnel would be deployed for the march. Police had also claimed that traffic jams would be avoided. But the situation on the ground looked entirely contrary to these claims. The main intersections, flyovers and the roads leading to the markets stayed full of vehicles. Despite such a large police deployment, people are asking why the administration could not keep traffic moving.

The suffering of ordinary citizens was drowned out in the noise of the "Save Democracy" march. Political parties have the right to show their strength, but nobody has the right to hold the entire city hostage for it. The march will end and the workers will go home, but who will make up for the time lost in traffic and the trouble caused to citizens?