Agra lawyers now divided on disrupting Obama visit to Taj, say Atithi Devo Bhava

AGRA: Lawyers in Agra, 12000 of whom had earlier said they would form a human wall to stop US president Barack Obama from visiting the Taj Mahal, are now a divided lot with two Agra bar associations deciding not to go ahead with the plan.
Citing the Indian credo of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ (guest is equivalent to God), the Agra Bar Association (ABA) and the newly formed Greater Agra Bar Association (GABA) have written separate letters of dissent on this.The lawyers had earlier said the protest against Obama's visit is part of their ongoing struggle for a high court bench in Agra, something that they have been demanding for years now.
Both the bar associations have now said they do not want to disrupt the US president's date with the Taj Mahal at 2 pm on January 27.
Speaking to TOI, ABA president Avinash Kumar Sharma said, “We believe in ‘Athithi Devo Bhava’. It is an honour for Agra city and the state that the world’s most powerful man is coming to visit the Taj along with his family. He is our national guest. It would be a selfish act if we hamper his visit for our demands.”
He added that the decision to stage a protest during Obama’s visit to the Taj was taken in a hurry without consent from all parties involved. “Our agitation for the high court bench demand has nothing to do with his visit,” Sharma added.
Echoing his sentiment, GABA general secretary Durgvijay Singh Bhaiya said it would be shameful to stage a protest against a national guest. “To uphold the traditions and principles for which India is known, there would be no opposition to the proposed visit of the US president to the Taj Mahal,” he added.
MoS HRD Ramshankar Katheria, too, appealed to the agitating lawyers to welcome the US president. “The US president has come to India on our Prime Minister’s invitation. It is a matter of pride for us that he is coming to Agra to see the Taj Mahal,” Katheria said.
Reacting on the U-turn of the two bar associations on the issue, K D Sharma, convenor of the action committee, said, “The bar associations have been pressurized by the administration to quit the protest, but we are going to go ahead and form a human chain during Obama’s visit if Modi does not give an assurance before January 25 on taking up the issue of a high court bench here.”
He said, “We have received strong support from at least 17 district bar councils for the January 27 protest.”