While it was just another rainy day on Tuesday in the city, the residents of the old city witnessed something different for once; a peace rally by the police and security forces stationed in the city. Children, street vendors, and shop owners alike had puzzled looks on their faces when they watched more than 500 personnel march from Noorkhan Bazar to the Madannapet water tank at Saidabad.
Riding on horseback, the march was led by additional commissioner of police (law and order) Anjani Kumar and deputy commissioner of police (south zone) Tarun Joshi. The march began at 2.30 pm from the Noorkhan Bazar Chaman, passed through a maze of lanes and bylanes in Dabeerpura Darwaza, Sheikh Faiyaz Kaman, Zafar Road, and Naushad junction. Confused looks, laughter, and puzzled faces greeted the seven companies of the Rapid Action Force (RAP) and two companies of the Border Security Force (BSF) as marched through the streets.
“We are only used to watching processions in the old city which are organised mainly by religious groups and political parties. This is very surprising but I don’t really understand how this will help,” said Mohd Salim, an autorickshaw driver who watched the peace rally. Faiyaz, a 10-year-old wondered if something was wrong when he watched the troops pass by. “We usually see such jawans only when there is trouble,” he said.
From the Naushad Junction, the security forces went by Reti masjid, then Chawni and Kumarguda, from where they headed to Bharatnagar, and then finally to the Madannapet water tank at Saidabad.
Another peace march was taken out from Madannapet by another contingent. “The march was taken out to instil confidence among the people and to show them that the security forces are there to take care of peace,” said Tarun Joshi. He termed it a warning to anti-social elements in those areas against trying to stir up any trouble. The peace march concluded in the evening.