Dharna Chowk shifted to Hyderabad outskirts

​Hyderabad: The Dharna Chowk has fallen silent from Thursday. No more sloganeering and blaring of mikes would be there. The government has given instructions to the police department not to give any permission to anyone to hold dharnas at this place. If anyone wants to hold protests or dharna they will have to do so in the city outskirts.

The decision by the government to shift ‘Dharna Chowk’ near Indira Park would hit out the livelihood of hundreds of street vendors, hawkers and others. The TDP government in 1997 had decided that the area near Indira Park would be earmarked for holding demonstrations. Since then the place has seen thousands protests and dharnas both big and small.

This decision of the government apart from affecting all those who want to hold protests would adversely affect the vendors who have been earning their livelihood all these years by selling eatables and soft drinks.

Shivaiah, a road side lemon juice vendor at Dharna Chowk said “I have been selling lemon juice here from the past 10 years. When a dharna is held I would do a business of Rs 500, but now that there will be no dharna’s here my future is in jeopardy”.
Venkatesh owner of tent house at Dharna Chowk said that there are six tent shops in this area who supply tents and other furniture during protests. “As the dharna spot has been shifted to outskirts it will be a huge loss for us.

We supply tents, chairs, stage, carpet and speakers to the parties and on an average we would have an income of Rs 20,000 per month, but now we will have to think of an alternate business”.

P Suresh, a 50-year-old private employee appreciated the government's move and said the loud speakers and slogans of political leaders would be a thing of past here. He said that it was not only creating disturbance to the local residents but also to joggers of Indira Park. "This move would rescue about three lakh residents from sound pollution", he said.

Shilpa, a 40 year old office goer said, "as the Dharna Chowk is being shift to outskirts, the traffic flow in the area would become smooth. It was a difficult task to manage the crowd at Dharna Chowk".According to a police official, the protesters will now hold protest at in the outskirts of the city.

The State government would now give permission to hold protests at four different identified locations including Jawahar Nagar, Shamshabad, Gandimaisamma and Pratap Singaram. He said that the government has decided to give five acres for each Dharna Chowk.