How rite is shrine security in India?

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Devotees can no longer take flowers, garlands and coconuts inside Mumbai’s Siddhivinayak Temple.

The ban follows specific information by security agencies that terrorist organisations can use coconuts to plant bombs inside the temple.

Security has also been stepped up in and around the temple premises.

Several measures, including installation of CCTVs, metal detectors and frisking of visitors had been going on. The temple, which figures on the terrorists' hit list, already has a bulletproof wall surrounding it.

On CNN-IBN’s show India 360 trustee, Siddhivinayak Temple, Kishore Joshi and former IPS officer Y P Singh came together with host Bhupendra Chaubey to discuss – Are temple security measures restrictive towards devotees?

So what is to be assessed of the latest threat that was issued against the temple? Was the order of banning the devotees’ offerings approvable?

Kishore Joshi said that that it was the duty of the security agencies to ensure the safety of the temple. The authorities were only following the instructions given by the security agencies and it was only a precautionary measure taken for the safety of the devotees and the temple.

“We are not trying to stop anybody from offering small garlands or small flowers but bigger garlands could be a little dangerous,” added Joshi.

But how could the small garlands be distinguished from the big ones or the small coconuts from the big ones?

Kishore brought light to the fact by saying that that if the garland was big then it had to be carried in a plastic bag, which could be a little doubtful.

But wasn’t there a better way for the police to scrutinise the temple devotees? They could have either used metal detectors or have more personnel guarding the temple and let the devotees carry on?

Y P Singh said that the Mumbai Police was very well equipped to find a difference between a coconut and a bomb. The tightening the security was only done because a wall had been built and the High Court had ordered for the wall to be demolished.

The case went to the Supreme Court who sent back the case to Mumbai High Court and the case was under consideration as the wall had covered almost half of the road and the Siddhivinayak Temple authorities were very sensitive about it.

But hadn’t the case of only protecting the temple and prohibiting the practice of offering for security reasons been over-hyped?

“It is actually possible for the security to find out whether it is a coconut or bomb. But an unnecessary hype has been created,” said Singh.

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