Jaipur: In Jaipur, protesters seem to have been in perpetual Bollywood classic Sholay hangover, where one of the protagonists Veeru, played by Dharmendra, climbed atop a water tank and fulfilled his demands to marry Basanti. The difference here is protesters do not climb towers for love or marriage, they do so demanding jobs and investigations. But the police are far from entertained.
In recent past, during such high-altitude form of protests, young men were seen scaling water tanks to call for the cancellation of Sub-Inspector recruitment, and climbing a BSNL tower to demand a CBI investigation.
The Jaipur Police Commissioner, Biju George Joseph, expressed concern over these daredevil protests, emphasizing that this trend not only puts the protestors’ lives at risk but also poses a threat to public safety and property. “People who climb tanks or towers to have their demands met create law and order situations and risk both their lives and government property,” Joseph explained. Consequently, the police are planning to crack down on such behavior by pressing legal charges against those involved and even recovering costs for the deployment of police forces on these occasions.
In recent cases, a strong police presence, along with civil defense volunteers, was required to coax protestors down safely, further straining police resources. For instance, when two young men scaled a water tank to protest the SI recruitment process, they refused to come down despite considerable persuasion. It took the intervention of Minister Kirodi Lal Meena to finally get them to descend. Similarly, two other men recently climbed a mobile tower to demand a CBI probe into a young woman’s death. The Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED) filed a case against the tank-climbers, signaling the beginning of stricter action against such protests.
In light of these events, Additional Director General (Law and Order) Vishal Bansal has announced plans to restrict access to water tanks across the state. Bansal suggested building secure rooms below tank staircases that can be locked to prevent unauthorized access. He also urged the public to seek less risky ways to make their voices heard, saying, “Climbing tanks or towers is not a safe or effective way to protest, and it affects policing.”
