In a first, protesters closeChittorgarh fort’s main gate

Chittorgarh: History was written at Chittorgarh fort on Friday as curtains were drawn across Padal Pole, blocking the entry of people and tourists for the first time in independent India.

The protest by people of the Mewar region, the land of Rani Padmini, was in support of the growing outcry in the state against Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film ‘Padmavati’, based on the life of the Chittor queen.

Right from the wee hours on Friday, a curtain was put across Padal Pole, the main entrance to the fort, prohibiting entry. Men and women dressed in traditional Rajput attire with swords hung on the sides took command of the fort under the banner of Sarva Samaj Samiti. In the evening, the gate was opened after the intervention of Chittorgarh MP C P Joshi who assured to take up the matter in the Parliament.

A gunshot was fired in the air and speeches, high on rhetoric, followed that underlined the valour, respect and the need to preserve Mewar's pride at the cost of laying down one's life.

Cries of ‘Har Har Mahadev’, ‘Jai Jai Rana Pratap’, ‘Jai Jai Rani Padmini’ and ‘Jai Jai Panna Dhai’ rendered the air near the fort.

The Palace on Wheels gave Chittorrgarh a miss and went to Udaipur following an alert on the closure of the fort given by the district administration.

“By keeping international tourists away from the fort, the message would go across the world that we are angered by the Bollywood movie that has distorted our history,” said Vijay Raj Singh, a member of the samiti.

“Only one shot was fired today. But if the movie is not banned, then guns and cannons will blaze in Delhi and Dubai,” thundered K P Singh, the Udaipur chief of Karni Sena, through the public address system set up outside the fort. “Why can't the Centre pay Bhansali Rs 160 crore and buy the rights of the movie,” questioned another leader.

“We will go to every house and ask them to give us one person to take the protest forward. This movement will not stop and a river of blood will flow from the historic Padal Pole if the film is not banned,” said Rohit Gopal, a local religious man in Chittorgarh.

“The chief minister, who often boasts that she is a Rajput married into the family of Jats and the mother-in-law of a Gujjar, should come down and see how people cutting across caste and creed have assembled here at the fort for Rani Padmini,” said Yug Pradeep Singh, a member of samiti, questioning the silence of chief minister Vasundhara Raje over the issue.

“The chief minister is in Delhi and has been apprised of the situation. Within the next two days there will be some good news for you,” assured Chandrabhan Singh, the BJP MLA from Chittorgarh. That, however, failed to pacify former Congress MLA S S Jalawat who wondered why the Centre has done nothing though there’s a BJP government in the state.

“Alauddin Khilji was not a Muslim. Islam does not give permission to look at women with ill intentions. Chittorgarh can depend on us for any protest and we will lead from the front,” said Amanat Ali, pledging the support of the Muslim community.

There was the unusual and strong presence of ‘shatranis’ (Rajput women) holding swords and raising slogans in the protest and demonstrations.

Dressed in ‘Rajputi poshak’, Kirti Raj Singh Mitwal, president of Shree Rajput Karni Sena, Madhya Pradesh, threatened to go to any extent to stop the release of the film. “Rajput women have inherited the courage, valour and bravery from our mother Rani Padmini. We can strike anyone like our male counterparts for our honour,” said Mitwal.

The local administration had deployed sufficient police force to control the law and order situation. A three-layered barricade was put up to stop people and tourists from going towards the fort.

However, some foreigners managed to sneak in close to the protest site. Marcel Eger, a tourist from Switzerland, who reached close to the protest site and was asked to go away and prevented from taking pictures. “I was not aware of any such problem in Chittorgarh. The protestors look angry and I think it’s better to leave the city,” said Eger.

“This is the first time after Independence that the gates of the fort have been closed. In the time of maharajas, the gates would be closed from dusk till dawn for security,” said Lokender Singh Chundawat, spokesperson of Jauhar Seva Sansthan.