Is Bandra Fort lost forever due to security for Taj Lands End Bandra?
Security Guards have denied entry to common citizens to Bandra Fort and garden near Taj Lands End since the attack on Mumbai in November. On one side the police say public allowed access after being frisked but the residents of BandStand have something else to say. It seems that the security cordon around the Taj Lands End in Bandra has effectively blocked off access to the road that also leads to a public garden and the popular Bandra Fort.
Bandra Fort and garden are actually next to the Taj Lands End and The Sea Rock. The Sea Rock Hotel at BandStand, Bandra has been closed for a few years and is not really impacted but the Bandra Fort and the adjacent garden is a faily popular place for visitors, walkers and lovers looking for a peaceful place to sit. Bandra Fort and the Garden at the Bandra Fort are maintained by the Bandra Bandstand Residents Trust. The police on their part are being careful and trying any incident again and say they will allow visitors to pass after through after the check. However the situation on the ground seems different, with the security cordon swarming with private security guards and only a handful of armed policemen behind a sandbag bunker. When an attempt was made to go to the gardens and the fort, a security guard from the Taj said, No one is allowed to access the fort. In fact Taj Lands End near Bandra Fort also hosted a huge New Years Party with unprecedented security. The road to the hotel was actually blocked off almost 500 meters away from the hotels main gate and at least 3-4 building other than the Taj Bandra have got blocked as a result of this security cordon.
The difficult question for Taj Lands End Bandra’s officials, for the police officers in Bandra and for the citizens for Bandra is “how long can this situation last?”. Blocking the road with a security cordon is obviously not the solution to the problem. As the security cordon seems to block 3-4 buildings other than the Taj Hotel. The security cordon also blocks the entry to Sea Rock and the popular Bandra Fort. The Bandra Fort has been a venue to many cultural events and is a popular attraction in Bandra. Should we let go off all this in view of the security needed for a landmark like Taj? We dont think this is a permanent solution and some better solution will have to be found that will be a better balance between ensuring security for the Taj and also allow access to public places and continuation of the normal cultural life of the common Bandraites.
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