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Kanwar Yatra vital element of Yogi’s Hindutva pitch
Soon after assuming office in his first term, he lifted the ban on playing DJs (music systems) during the Kanwar Yatra
Ever since he took the reins of the state in 2017, chief minister Yogi Adityanath has showcased the Kanwar Yatra during the Hindu holy month of Shravan or Sawan across Uttar Pradesh as a plank to push the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Hindutva agenda.
Soon after assuming office in his first term, he not only lifted the ban on playing DJs (music systems) during the Kanwar Yatra but also directed the district administration officers to shower flower petals on Kanwariyas (pilgrims) from helicopters.
This was in sharp contrast to the approach of the Samajwadi Party government which had banned the “DJs” during the Kanwar Yatra in various districts of West UP in view of communal clashes and directed the police to nab the devotees who violated the order.
Terming the SP regime’s order “anti- Hindu,” Yogi directed the district administration to permit the kanwariyas to play bhajans and film songs that are neither vulgar nor provocative. The officers were instructed to ensure security of the devotees.
The officers were also instructed to identify Shiva temples on the routes and to organise a cleanliness campaign in the temple premises and ensure that there were no liquor shops and slaughter houses near the kanwar yatra route or the places of the pilgrims’ stay.
After the BJP’s below par performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Yogi Adityanath has returned to the core Hindutva pitch and the Kanwar Yatra has provided an opportunity to display Hindutva politics promoted by BJP.
Despite the objection of allies like the Rashtriya Lok Dal and the Janata Dal (U) and criticism by the opposition parties -- Samajwadi Party, Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party -- the state government ordered all eateries and food carts along the Kanwar Yatra route to display the names of their owners.
The chief minister said the decision has been taken to preserve the sanctity of Kanwar pilgrims and to ensure the devotees are not disturbed during the pilgrimage. The order was to be implemented on all Kanwar Yatra routes in the state, he said.
Officials were directed to initiate action against those selling and promoting Halal-certified products.
The Hindutva pitch is being played up at a time when there have been rumblings in the BJP in UP after the Lok Sabha polls. The apparent differences came to the fore during the BJP state executive meeting on July 14.
A political observer SK Srivastava said, “After the BJP came to power in Uttar Pradesh in 2017, the kanwar yatra has been converted into a Hindutva pitch to woo Hindu devotees, majority of whom are from dominant Other Backward Classes (OBCs) from the rural hub of the state. The shift in the OBC votes to the INDIA bloc in the Lok Sabha election led to the BJP’s defeat in a large number of seats. The Kanwar Yatra Has come as an opportunity to the BJP to address its core Hindu vote, particularly the OBCs.”
Ignoring the objection of allies like RLD and JD (U) whose support is vital for the survival of the NDA government at Centre, the Uttar Pradesh government has stuck to its guns on the directive mandating eateries to mention of the name of the owners. The BJP aims to send a message to the devotees that their religious sentiments is on top of the party agenda.
Reviewing preparations for the Kanwar Yatra beginning on Monday, the chief minister has directed officials to maintain cleanliness on the yatra route. There should be good arrangement of street lights and assistance of committees should be taken to set up Kanwar camps, he said.
Along with marking the routes of the yatra, crowd management, route diversion, deployment of police force, CCTV cameras should be arranged on time, he said. The devotees should not face any problem, he added.
