L-G intervenes to clear way for ‘Phool Walon ki Sair’ fest

Days’ old row over denial of permissions to hold the decades-old “Phool Walon ki Sair” festival in the national capital was resolved on Sunday as Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena intervened to solve the issue and ensure necessary approvals.

The festival, a symbol of Delhi’s syncretic culture and communal harmony, had been organised at the forested Aam Bagh area of Mehrauli since 1961 when first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru resumed the revived tradition after a break.

“Anjuman Sair-e-Gul Faroshan”, a non-profit organisation headed by Usha Kumar, has been at the centre of the festivities for decades.

Kumar earlier this week said the festival organisers began courting troubles regarding permissions starting last year.

A detailed statement from the L-G Office today cited a November 28, 2023 order of the Forest Department under the erstwhile AAP government as the cause of delay in grant of permissions to the festival.

The said order, signed by Conservator of Forests Saurabh Sharma, and issued to relevant agencies that grant approvals and help organise festivals in forested areas, cited Section 2 of the Forest Conservation Act, which restricts non-forestry use of forest land.

The stated order, accessed by The Tribune, said, “If any non-forestry (read festivals or exhibitions, etc.) work is proposed in ridge or reserved forest, it is mandatory for forest and ridge management to obtain relevant permissions.”

The order went on to list a range of permissions, including recommendation of Ridge Management Board and Central Empowerment Committee; approval of the Supreme Court and permission under the Forest Conservation Act - 1980.

“In case of forest and ridge, the proposals must be submitted to the Government of Delhi through the Deputy Conservator of Forests,” said the order listing penalties in the event of contravention.

The L-G in his statement today said it was this order that led to the delay by the Delhi Development Authority in granting permission for “Phool Walon ki Sair” which is held at Aam Bagh in Mehrauli that falls in Delhi’s South Central Ridge area and is part of the Aravali mountain range and therefore restricted.

Stating that L-G Saxena has given permission for the festival this year, the note from the L-G Office added that the permission had been kept pending due to the November 28, 2023 order of the then AAP Government prohibiting such festivals in the southern ridge area.

“The L-G has warned officials against unresponsive and apathetic approach towards people’s issues and following his intervention, the DDA has granted permission to the Anjuman Sair-e-Gul-Faroshan to organise the traditional festival at its original venue,” the L-G House statement said.

The statement added that the DDA’s permission had also been conveyed to the organisers who said they would hold the festival in February or March next year.

The L-G House statement said subsequent to reports about the “Phool Walon ki Sair” festival not being organised due to the lack of permission by the DDA, VK Saxena directed for the matter to be looked into, wherein it came out that the permission by the DDA had been delayed due to the direction by the Department of Forests and Environment then under the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP Government, prohibiting organising of festivals in the forested area.

“It came to the fore that the DDA had been granting permission for organising the festival regularly till 2023 and even facilitated the organisation of “Phool Walon Ki Sair” in 2024, despite the orders of the AAP Government. However, the organisers this time insisted on a written permission, which was issued after the L-G’s intervention. The L-G, who has been actively promoting this centuries-old festival representing Delhi’s syncretic culture, wherein he personally visits the Dargah of Khwaja Bakhtiyar Kaki and the Mata Yogmaya Mandir for the past three years, took serious exception to the festival being denied permission. Thereafter, the DDA, in light of the fact that “Phool Walon Ki Sair” is a prestigious event symbolising Delhi’s heritage and communal harmony, put up the matter for review. Subsequently, after due deliberation, conditional permission to the effect that no harm is done to the environment while holding the festival, was granted. This decision balances the preservation of ecological integrity with the continuation of Delhi’s cultural legacy,” the L-G Office explained.

It added that even as the permission has been granted now, Saxena has asked for action to be taken against erring officials for their unresponsive and apathetic approach towards the issue.

“The L-G has reiterated that any official found acting in deterrence to public interest will be punished as per laid down provisions. It may be noted that when the DDA conveyed the permission to the organisers, they said that they would be organising the festival in February-March next year,” the official statement added.