HC issues guidelines for conducting Pooram

Kochi: The high court bench of Justices Anil K Narendran and Viju Abraham on Friday issued guidelines for conducting the Thrissur Pooram, scheduled for May 7. The move comes against the backdrop of the issues that arose last year, leading to the disruption of the festival.
The court further directed the state police chief to oversee all activities based on the police bandobast scheme already prepared for maintaining law and order during the festival. The entire process shall be under the control of the Thrissur district collector and district police chief. The district police chief shall take necessary steps to ensure that experienced police personnel are deployed at various locations. The district collector shall ensure the deployment of officers and employees of the district administration and shall also coordinate with the Thrissur municipal corporation secretary.
The Thiruvambady and Paramekkavu devaswoms shall submit the list of volunteers to the district collector by April 25. The Cochin Devaswom Board, along with the Paramekkavu and Thiruvambady devaswoms, shall make every effort to ensure that all religious activities related to Thrissur Pooram are conducted following the prevailing customary practices. The state police chief shall closely monitor the law-and-order situation and issue necessary instructions.
HC also emphasized the importance of crowd management for the safety and comfort of attendees, including children, persons with disabilities, and elderly individuals. Additionally, the court orally directed that VIP galleries and similar exclusive facilities be avoided during the festival.
The division bench was considering petitions filed by BJP state leader B Gopalakrishnan and others, seeking action against Ankit Ashokan, the then city police commissioner of Thrissur, and other officials responsible for last year's disruption of the Thrissur Pooram festival. In response, the court directed the state to complete the ongoing special investigation team (SIT) inquiry and ensure that the proceedings reach a logical conclusion within three months.