Dahi-handi mandals bank on Bombay HC

Mumbai: The Bombay high court will on August 7 have a re-look at the state’s appeal against the ban on pyramids over 20 feet and minors’ participation in Dahi-handi celebrations to mark Krishna Janmashtami. This comes after the Supreme Court directed the Bombay high court on Tuesday to hear the state’s plea and NGOs for reconsidering height restrictions on the human pyramid as well as minors’ participation in Dahi-handi celebrations. The key grounds such as placing mattresses around pyramids, insuring govindas, providing helmets, chest guards, etc as well as the fact that capping the height of the pyramid would deter participants from trying to challenge the Guinness Book of World Record of 43.79 feet prompted the SC to refer the case back to Bombay HC.

Speaking about the apex court’s direction, Kamlesh Bhoir, secretary of the Dahi Handi Samanvay Samiti (DHSS) which had approached the SC against the height and age restrictions imposed by the Bombay high court, said, “The apex court took a holistic view after the state submitted details of safety and precautionary measures it had put in place to curb injuries to the Govindas. We are of the view that in light of the SC directions all the past decisions on the two issues should be set aside and the HC must hear them afresh.”

The state in its affidavit submitted to the SC mentioned that it had issued numerous guidelines to Dahi-handi organisers for ensuring the safety of the participants and hence the restrictions should be relaxed.

Assistant government pleader Manish Pabale who appeared in the previous hearing in the case in Bombay high court said that the previous orders would stand till new orders are passed with regards to the pyramid’s height and age restrictions.

“The court will hear the matter on its own merit and take into consideration the submissions made by the state in its affidavit and decide on whether to relax the height and age norms or not,” said Mr Pabale.