Govt cancels holi prog, after villagers threaten to boycott

Uttar Pradesh Tourism department has cancelled the 'Holi Mahotsava', it has proposed to hold on March 16 in Vrindaban, after residents of Barsana and Nandgaon villages threatened to not celebrate their famous 'Lathmaar Holi' expressing their reservations against the event.
Uttar Pradesh Tourism minister Om Prakash Singh ordered cancellation of the Mahotsava after a delegation of villagers, led by the priest of Nand Baba temple Sushil Goswami, met him yesterday in Delhi.
"The minister has ordered to cancel Holi Mahotsava which was supposed to be held on March 16," District Tourism officer Anupam Srivastava said.
Goswami and residents of Barsana and Nandgaon villages had threatened to boycott their famous 'Lathmaar Holi' if the Tourism Department went ahead with Mahotsava before they held their festival.

While the Department had decided to hold the Mahotsava on March 16, the villagers had planned Lathmaar Holi on March 17 in Barsana and in Nandgaon, the following day.
Though the District Magistrate had tried to clarify that the tourism department's programme was in no way meant to overshadow 'Lathmaar Holi' of the twin villages, Goswami and villagers had their reservations.
"We finally met the minister in Delhi on Saturday evening, and apprised him of the situation that cropped up owing to the proposed programme in Vrindaban without consulting the locals. The minister wasgood enough to cancel the Vrindaban programme," Goswami said, adding that the minister had given his consent to attend 'Lathamaar Holi' of Barsana on March 17.