An Invitation To Terror

  More than 15,000 Hindus gathered for the 14th annual Phagwah parade in Richmond Hill on Sunday. The Hindu festival marks the beginning of spring and represents a triumph of good over evil in the Indo-Caribbean culture. But the traditional practices of spraying frolickers with colored powder and liquid dye, known as abeer and abrack, has drawn harsh criticism due to the heightened terrorist alert status in NYC.
"How could this be allowed to happen?" questioned James Douglas, a Richmond Hill resident who watched from his front porch as revelers doused each other with powder and dye. "What is to prevent some lunatic from putting something in the powder and harming these people? Hasnt anyone here heard of anthrax?"
Indeed, to many, the scene set on Sunday was one seemingly void of all precautions consistent with the current orange alert status and the recently implemented citywide anti-terrorist campaign dubbed Operation Atlas.
An NYPD release, issued to all members of the parade detail, was obtained by The Queens Courier from one officer who offered the document as "an extra one." The document made clear the departments position with regard to the use of powder or dye.
One section entitled "Quality of Life" read as follows: "Individuals observed in possession of alcoholic beverages or powder/dye will have those items confiscated and receipts will be issued."
Further provisions state, "The use of water guns [super soakers, etc.] is PROHIBITED."
Police were advised to inform those having their property seized that possessions could be reclaimed with their receipt at the 106th Precinct at a later time.
On Monday, The Queens Courier spoke to Community Affairs Officer Kenneth Zorn of the 106th Precinct. "No receipts were issued and we have no confiscated property," he said.
According to police sources, a meeting earlier in the month between police officials and parade organizers was to clarify permit regulations and go over final details.
Latchman Buddhai was the only representative of the parade committee to show up for the most recent meeting. He was reportedly informed by Community Affairs Detective Rudy Toolasprashad of the 102nd Precinct, himself a member of the Hindu community, that there was to be no powder permitted.
On Sunday, however, parade participants failed to adhere to the powder ban. Detective Toolasprashad himself was covered in colorful powder at the parade, his new gold shield hidden beneath a film of magenta powder. Numerous phone attempts to reach the detective for commentary went unreturned.
A total of 17 professional floats carried more than 1,000 people who sang, danced and threw powder onto the thousands of spectators. Others aboard the floats repeatedly reloaded giant water guns spraying their contents into the crowd. The floats, which were sold to sponsors by parade organizers were mandated to abide by permit and police regulations and conform to the prohibition of powder/dye.
One Guyanese merchant whose shop lies along the parade routefrom the Chedi Jagan lot on 133rd Street and 105th Avenue to Smokey Park at 125th Street and Atlantic Avenuespoke on the condition of anonymity. "Our people look very much forward to this celebration. However, given the seriousness of the situation here with them [terrorists] I think we should have done without the powder. This day is about good over evil. If you think about it, we made a situation where evil could have easily visited." The man said that he and his family would celebrate the day at home and play Phagwah safely in their backyard.
Several police officers in the detail agreed that it would be "no problem at all" for anyone with ill-intent to blend in with the crowd and create a potentially devastating situation.
In an official statement released by DCPI, Sergeant Mike Wyjokowski said that according to reports he had gathered, there had been meetings with parade organizers, NYPD Borough Command and Community Affairs officers to discuss the use of powder/dye.
Although parade organizers had agreed to follow the no powder rule, no supersoakers or powder were confiscated at the parade because according to Sergeant Wyjokowski, "When people were told to stop using it [powder/dye] they did."
Wyjokowski also stated that there were some individuals from out of town who were unaware of the powder ban. Officers were said to have used their best discretion in asking participants to refrain from using any powder or dye.
Additionally Sergeant Wyjokowski told The Courier that there had been ads taken out in local Hindu newspapers and that a Guyanese radio station had broadcast the ban on powder.
Chandrica Persaud was one of this years parade organizers, who acknowledged that the parade committee agreed to follow a directive that would eliminate the powder. "We told the people not to use the powderthat it was not allowed," said Persaud.
The president of the Federation of Hindu Mandirs went on to say that he knew it would be very difficult to stop the people from celebrating with traditional practices. "We prayed before and during the parade. We have the guidance of God. Thank God nothing happened."