The permanent stage at the far end of the Putharikkandam maithanam is rarely used by those organising events here, preferring instead to erect a stage further to the front.
But on Saturday, the Popular Front of India used the permanent stage for its mega rally and yet, the crowd that was gathered from across the State for the event, spilled out of the huge grounds, a rare happening at this place.
Traffic came to a stand-still at East Fort for quite sometime, as there was no space to accommodate the crowd that came as part of the tail-end of the rally. The rally began in the afternoon from near the Napier Museum. With the PFI’s mass mobilisation from across the State, the rally took up one side of the stretch till East Fort, for almost three to four hours.
Women, many of them with their children accompanying them, also participated in large numbers in the rally.
According to one of the participants in the rally, the preparation for its began several days in advance. For the PFI, which is facing the prospect of a ban by the Central government, this was also a show of strength.