Jung-e-Azadi rally enters second phase; lacks the initial enthusiasm

Modinagar, May 8 (UNI) The Jung-e-Azadi rally today entered its second phase when it left for Muradnagar from Modinagar, lacking in the initial enthusiasm it witnessed at Meerut.

The rally organisers planned to skip the third lap at Muradnagar and enter the fourth lap at Ghaziabad.

''Because of logistic reasons the third lap at Muradnagar had been skipped, though part of the rally was staying back,'' said Nehru Yuva Kendra Sanghatan Director General Shakeel Ahmad Khan.

However, part of the rally will leave tomorrow for Muradnagar from Ghaziabad, he said while accepting that a part of it had already left for Muradnagar after reaching Ghaziabad from Modinagar this morning where proper arrangements for the rallyists have been made.

Lack of proper arrangements on various counts, however, however, diluted the spirit of joy a bit.

There were allegations of mismanagement and various shortcomings, to which Mr Khan said '' a human error is everywhere'' and partly blamed the district administration for the loop holes in the arrangements.

''A rally on such a large scale was bound to have its own problems and accepted that some of the shortcomings were there as far as arrangements are concerned,'' Mr Khan said adding the reason behing most of the lapses was more than the expected number of people participating in the rally.

There were no toilets for the women rallyists. ''I had asked the Delhi government for mobile toilets but they were somehow not arranged for,'' Mr Khan said.

On yesterday's ruscus at Modinagar where some rallyists had protested and damaged some of the arrangements, he said the problem was mainly with the participants from Jammu and Kashmir who were most of the time found complaining.

The rallyists also faced shortage of food on which Mr Khan clarified that the problem was the delay in the arrival of food supply denying that there was any such shortage.

The blame for various shortfalls should not be put entirely on the district administration as they were busy with the election counting duties, Mr Khan said ignoring the fact that arrangements for the rally had been planned weeks ago.

Even the medical facilities and various support system for more than 15,000 participants of the ''karvan-e-saathi sajhishahadat sakjhi virasat'' rally were ridden with laxities with participants complaining of nausea and unconsiousness.

Team leadership was lacking because of which the crowd was moving in a haphazard manner. Even the gud and chana (Jaggery and gram) with tea could not fall in the share of all the rallyists.

The pomp and show witnessesd at the flagging off ceremony at Meerut was lacking at both Modinagar and Muradnagar.

However, local people were enthusiastic about the event and did not mind the traffic delays and jams.

UNI