oppn parties Kanwar Yatra: Better Sense Prevails

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  • The Reserve Bank of India is considering further monetary tightening to counter capital outflows and increase the cost of betting against the rupee, according to bankers and analysts cited by Reuters. The measures follow recent rate increases and steps to drain liquidity as pressure on the currency and inflation concerns persist
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  • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India's trade imbalance with China was growing sharply and attributed the problem partly to restrictions on Indian goods and services entering the Chinese market. China subsequently said it was ready to work with India to address mutual economic and trade concerns; India's trade deficit with China reached $69 billion in the first half of FY2026–27, up 27% year-on-year
  • Indian equity benchmarks extended their recovery on Friday, with the Sensex rising 413.66 points to close at 74,729.27 and the Nifty 50 gaining 148.80 points to settle at 23,146.15. Information technology shares, including Tech Mahindra, Infosys and TCS, helped lift the indices
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  • The Supreme Court issued notices to the Election Commission of India, Delhi Police and opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, in separate petitions concerning electoral-roll revision and protests held in Delhi on October 10–12. The court also directed the preservation of CCTV footage linked to allegations of police excesses
  • The Supreme Court ruled that a person converting from Hinduism to Islam cannot automatically claim backward-class reservation benefits in the new religious community solely on the basis of their previous caste status. The judgment upheld the Madras High Court's decision striking down a 2024 Tamil Nadu government order that permitted such certification for specified communities
  • The Election Commission of India ordered a Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in 14 states and three Union Territories, using January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date for voter eligibility. The draft rolls are scheduled for publication on November 12, claims and objections will be accepted until December 11, and the final rolls are due on January 4, 2027
Tragedy in Kolkata: Stampede at the Chor Bagan Pujo results in 18 people losing their lives and scores injured /////// The stampede was caused by a sudden downpour which made people in the heavy crowd run for cover
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Kanwar Yatra: Better Sense Prevails

By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2021-07-14 03:59:01

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator. Author of Cyber Scams in India, Digital Arrest, The Money Trap and The Human Hack

Newly-appointed Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami needs to be congratulated for resisting pressure from several quarters, especially from his counterpart in UP, Yogi Adityanath, and taking a sensible decision in cancelling the kannwar yatra to Haridwar. Dhami said that "people's lives are important and we cannot play around with them. It is important to save lives during a pandemic. Even God will not like it if any lives are lost".

Uttar Pradesh had earlier taken the decision to allow the yatra. But Uttarakhand's former chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat had cancelled this year's yatra in the state. But when Yogi Adityanath had called up Dhani after his appointment and requested him to allow kanwariyas from UP to visit Haridwar in limited numbers, it was assumed that Dhami would not be able to resist the pressure from BJP's star leader. After Dhami said that he will take a decision after talking to other states, that assumption was strengthened.

But it seems wiser counsel has prevailed within the BJP. It is obvious that Dhami alone was not responsible for taking this decision. With new variations of coronavirus being detected in both UP and Uttarakhand, allowing more than 2 crore people to walk to Haridwar within a month would have been inviting trouble. Hence, it seems that the BJP top brass decided to advise Dhami to cancel the yatra. With PM Modi telling states to take measures to prevent the third wave, allowing the yatra, which had the potential to become a superspreader, would have looked foolish.

Mass gatherings cannot be disciplined as it is impossible to force each and every person to follow Covid-appropriate behavior. Hence, the best way is to ban such gatherings. After the Maha Kumbh was allowed and persisted with till the fag end despite rising Covid cases, it was expected that the kanwar yatra would also be allowed. But the decision to cancel it is appropriate and is welcome.

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