Chandigarh’s safe side comes to the fore

Sandeep Rana

It was a changed Chandigarh today. With a minimal number of vehicles on roads and no need for traffic signals at most light points, driving around the city was fun. It reminded me of the time years ago when the city hardly witnessed any traffic jams.

In the morning, I was assigned to look after the law and order situation and inconvenience to people in Chandigarh in the aftermath of the verdict in Panchkula. I roamed around the city and visited a few entry points to check the situation. Markets, cinema halls and tourist places wore a deserted look.

There was a fear in the minds of people as they avoided stepping out of their homes. I kept getting calls from family and friends, who were glued to their TV sets, about my well-being. I told them do not worry as I am covering Chandigarh, which is safe and not Panchkula, which is troubled.

But they feared saying, "go home as the protesters are coming towards Chandigarh also". Till this time, I was relaxed but then I got little concerned and called up my sources to check if it’s safe.

I was told the situation may turn more tense as protesters were jostling with security men at the Panchkula-Chandigarh border to gain entry in Chandigarh. However, the city remained peaceful.

Having reached the office in the evening, before I could file any story, I got a call that there was a press conference of the UT Police DGP at 8 pm. Then, I had to rush there. The DGP told the media that they did not allow any dera supporters enter the city and arrested those who tried to. At the end of the day, I can say that Chandigarh is not just beautiful but safe too, at least for today.