Security braces for protests during queen's Kochi visit

D Jose in Thiruvananthapuram

Security personnel are worried that protesters will create trouble when Queen Elizabeth of Britain visits the tomb of Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama at the St Francis church during her five-hour visit of Kochi in Kerala on Friday.

Intelligence personnel have taken up position in possible trouble spots at Fort Kochi to keep a watch after receiving information that some organisations, including those affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, were planning protests on the occasion. The Rapid Action Force and the Kerala armed police will man the roads the queen's entourage will traverse and the places she will visit.

British personnel would take care of the personal security of the queen and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, said Cochin Police Commissioner Jacob Thomas, who is in charge of the security arrangements.

Thomas told Rediff on the NeT that there will be strict controls on the movement of the people two hours before her arrival in the city. The queen and the prince are scheduled to arrive at the naval airport at 1155 hours and then head for the Taj Malabar Hotel for a traditional welcome and a Mohini Attam performance. It is to be followed by a lunch hosted by Governor Sukhdev Singh Kang.

Only nine people, including Chief Minister E K Nayanar and his wife, are to be introduced to the queen at that time. The Communist-led government has arranged a red carpet welcome for the queen, who is visiting the state for the first time.

The high point of the queen's visit is the trip to St Francis church, believed to be the oldest European church in India. Besides visiting Vasco da Gama's tomb, the queen will sit through an anthem in Malayalam sung by the church choir and go through the palm leaf title deed of the church dating back to 1503, and the 18th century Dutch marriage register kept in the church, which is now under the control of the Church of South India, a sister church of the Anglican church.

The queen will also visit the Jewish synagogue at Mattancherry. There she is to meet representatives of about 25 Jewish families still remaining at Mattancherry. The Jewish warden, Hallegua, is to present a silver salver, replica of copper plates, an album of photographs, documents and a hand-stitched cap to the queen on the occasion. The queen, in return, is to present a silver cup to the warden.

The queen will later visit the pepper futures exchange and the British-aided urban poverty alleviation project at Mini Colony.

Prince Philip, in the meantime, will visit the office of a Malayalam daily, and Sneh Bhavan at Palluruthy. He will join the queen at the airport for their departure to Madras at 1645 pm.