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Symbolic Kanwar Yatra Would Be Best In The Time Of The Pandemic

By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2021-07-11 12:53:58

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

Uttarakhand’s former chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat had taken a good decision by cancelling the kanwar yatras (the annual pilgrimage with the onset of Shravan month of the Hindu calendar when devotees bring water from the holy Ganga to several big Shiva temples in their states or neighbouring states on foot, beginning on July 25 this year) due to the Covid situation. But the new chief minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami is set to review that decision after UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath allowed the yatra in his state. Lakhs of devotees from UP visit Haridwar on foot as part of the yatra and if Uttarakhand does not let them enter, it could lead to a tense situation at the border points of the two states.

Dhami met both Prime Minister Modi and Home minister Shah in Delhi on Saturday. After the meeting, he told reporters that he will take a decision on both Char Dham Yatra and kanwar yatras after talking to neighbouring states. But with UP already allowing the kanwar yatras, that essentially means that Uttarakhand is actively thinking of allowing the same too. Given the current Covid situation, it will be disastrous if the yatra is allowed as it would be impossible to enforce Covid protocols during the same. The experience of previous yatras shows that more than 2 crore people, in groups of 50 to 500, undertake the yatra. Several such groups combine to form an unending chain on the roads (see the lead picture). They cannot follow physical distancing. Further, since they walk on foot and it is a strenuous job, it will be impossible for them to keep a mask on at all times.

Experts have already warned that the kanwar yatras carry more than 5 times the risk that was so evident at the Maha Kumbh due to the massive number of people who participate in it. Further, UP has already seen a few cases of the Delta+ infection. The Centre is rightly worried that people are thronging hill stations and not following Covid-appropriate behavior ar posing a huge risk. Then it should also take cognizance of the risk posed by the kanwar yatras and advise the states not to allow it this year. A symbolic yatra (for Haridwar) of a few hundred kanwariyas (following Covid-appropriate behavior) can be allowed to keep the tradition going and not hurt the religious sentiments of the devotees. For other temples, the local administration must take the decision. But full scale yatras, whether for Haridwar or for Tarakeshwar in West Bengal and Baidyanath Dham in Jharkhand, must not be allowed in any state.

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