RIOT!!!
Last Saturday was an "interesting" day. We had a about 30 police and a couple of hundred protesters camped out at the bottom of the drive, 150 meters from our apartment. There was lots of shouting, flag waving and general commotion. The mosque loudspeaker system called all from the neighbourhood to the fray. The police set up roadblocks and I was effectively trapped in the flat. I say "I" because Sarah was out having a massage.
So what caused this civil unrest? Why the call to arms? Was it the elections in Delhi? Food price riots? A rally against corruption? No, it was because the local Islamic school had put a collection box on the side of the road with a few flags around it to draw the attention of potential donors. True, it was near the entrance to the Hindu temple but not on temple grounds, so why the big kerfuffle?
Over the last week or so the security guards who are employed by the big 5* hotel which owns much of the land around Kovalam beach have been involved in a clean up campaign, all non-authorized structures e.g fences, advertising signs etc. have been ordered to be taken down by the security team, if there is any objection the police are called to enforce the change. The objective being to keep the bay as free from the worst excesses of lighthouse beach as possible and "beautify" the area. To be fair there has been a lot of money and effort spent in clearing the parkland surrounding the bay of scrub and generally tidy up. (Ironically this does not extend to the rubbish brought in by the coachloads of day trippers which is thrown about all over the place, but that's another issue). The initiative even received official backing earlier in the week and was reported in The Hindu. So full of good intentions the guards have been going about their business but making few friends in the process. Kovalam Beach is a major tourist destination for day-trippers, those wanting to see the sea, swim (or near drown) and pilgrims alike and it has the only coach park within walking distance of Hawa and Lighthouse beaches i.e. a magnet for traders, those selling snacks, ice cream and other tourist goods. Consequently there will always we a tension between those who are trying to preserve its unique beauty and those wanting to use it, set up shop and make a living.
The a fore mentioned donation box was deemed to be on hotel land and so the security guards tried to remove it. Needless to say this was a "controversial move" and the community reacted strongly.
To prevent the box's removal a crowd gathered, surrounded it and were very vocal in their anger. Next, to ensure the box wasn't moved a group of youngsters "borrowed" a pile of bricks from a hotel construction site and went about encasing the box in brick and concrete. Though this had the effect of preventing the removal it had one significant draw back, the box was no longer accessable for donations and so another box was placed on top of the now enclosed original.
All in all things got rather heated, police riot vans were deployied, there was a lot of chanting, angry arm and flag waving and general loud protesting. The police then blocked the road and no one was allowed out or in. It really looked as though it might get nasty until 3:40 when the mosque put out its cal to prayer at which point the protesters all headed off to pray, obviously realizing they would lose the moral high ground if they didn't, and the police.... went to the tea shop for a cuppa.
Half Time.
Obviously there had been a half time team talk as when prayers were over the protesters formed an orderly if rather noisy procession to the 5* hotel to complain. 30 mins later they were all back again, this time smiling and laughing as they had obtained a stay of execution.
Three days later the box now stands where it was before, still encased in brick and with an additional box on top. Since Saturday we have had a police police coach parked in the coach park and a large police presence, though i secretly think they are now just enjoying being beside the sea as there is much tea drinking, stroling along the beach and ice cream eating going on.
So... that was our riot, India's answer to a letter to the parish council, noisier, more dramatic but much faster, it also involved the whole community and filled a Saturday afternoon.
Usual Coffee Time Ramblings at the end of the week...
Have a fun day...
K&S
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