Use of sling banned in Gotmar fair, CrPC sec 144 imposed

Authorities today clamped prohibitory orders in the district for the peaceful conduct of the traditional Gotmar fair tomorrow at Pandhurna and also banned use of sling to hurl stones.
"Use of slings has been banned and section 144 of CrPC has been clamped in two villages from where the stones are thrown," Collector J K Jain said.
He said CCTV cameras have been installed to keep a track on the revellers gathering at Pandhurna, around 90 km from the district headquarters.
Besides, 600 personnel have been deployed for peaceful conduct of the annual event, he added.
At the centuries-old event, which is one of the bloodiest fairs in the world, people of two villages hurl stones at each other with slings on the bank of river Jam. In the recent past, 17 persons have been killed and thousands injured in the recent past.

In the fair, villagers of Sanwargaon and Pandhurna throng either side of the river and a tree with a flag atop is put in the middle of the river. Both sides run to grab the flag amid stone-pelting and the ones who snatch the flag are the winners.
The local legend goes that the ritual had begun some 300 years ago after a boy of Pandhurna went to Sanwargaon and kidnapped a girl. When he was returning to his village by wading through the river, the Sanwargaon villagers spotted him and threw stones at him.
On seeing their village boy under attack, the people of Pandhurna hurled stones at the other side and the boy along with the girl reached his place safely. The villagers mark this event in form of a violent tradition every year.