Shri Ramlila Mahasangh's Dharna, Demonstration for Demand of Free Electricity, Water.

Mahesh Dhoundiyal - Delhi

On the call of Shri Ramlila Mahasangh, representatives of Ramlila committees held a dharna today at National Club Fatehpuri Delhi, Old Delhi, demanding free electricity, water for all Ram Leelas, under the leadership of Mahasangh's President Arjun Kumar ji. Representatives of the capital's Leela committees held a dharna with banners in their hands demanding free electricity and water for Ramlilas and placards with slogans of free electricity and water for Ram devotees.

Shri Ramlila Mahasangh's President Arjun Kumar ji said that every year the government provides free water, free electricity, tents, furniture, mobile toilets and security in Kanwar camps, Chhath Puja events and camps for Haj pilgrims, but Ramlilas, which are doing the pious work of doing Ram's work and taking the message of Lord Shri Ram to the masses, are charged 100% for this.

Shri Arjun Kumar also told that all the former Chief Ministers of Delhi have been giving assurance of free electricity and water to the Ramlilas of Delhi. No Chief Minister fulfilled this promise but Delhi Chief Minister Shri Madan Lal Khurana had provided electricity for Ramlilas at domestic rates instead of commercial rates. After him, the electricity companies again started charging commercial rates for the Ramlilas of Delhi.

According to the General Secretary of the Mahasangh, Subhash Goyal, since the Mughal period, a Ramlila Committee of Delhi is given free electricity, ground and water by the government, then why step-motherly treatment with other Ramlila committees, on the lines of this Leela Committee, the Delhi Government should also provide free electricity and water to all other Leela Committees. We have given memorandum to the Delhi Government many times regarding this demand, but every time we have only been getting assurances, to make our voice reach the government in a peaceful manner, we organized this protest.

On behalf of Shri Ramlila Mahasangh, it was also decided to meet the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi soon and make him aware of our demands.

From various Leela committees, Jathedar Avtar Singh, Joginder Pal, Mansi Arora, Gaurav Suri, Lokesh Bansal, Rajkumar Kashyap, Prashant Malik, Mukul Gupta, Ashok Kataria, Yash Jha, Madan Aggarwal, Naval Kishore Gupta, Raj Kumar Gupta, Sudhir Jha, etc. participated in this sit-in demonstration.