State’s role in Kanwar chaos

The pilgrims undoubtedly have a right to public spaces, but not at the cost of having these overrun by hordes of young men quick to violence

The Kanwar Yatra risks losing its aura of kanwariyas (pilgrims)’ resolute spiritualism, becoming instead a spectacle of disruption and aggression, with politcisation of faith being the cherry on top. The 12-day yatra this year ended on Friday with near-constant blaring of music massive boomboxes atop trucks and tractors, traffic snarls, tonnes of garbage strewn on the streets (and in Haridwar itself), brawls between kanwariya groups, and the tragic death of a few in accidents­. Over the past few years, very little faith and much more of muscular assertion by the pilgrims has been on show on North India’s roads, including in the National Capital Region.

The problem lies in how the political dispensations in the states view the yatra. (Representative Image/Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The problem lies in how the political dispensations in the states view the yatra. Their approach, instead of being purely administrative, has been one of passive encouragement of kanwariya aggression. Instead of sticking to essentials such as healthcare arrangements and demarcating portions of the road network for the safe passage of the pilgrims, there has been a soft push by the states to majoritarian politics in the name of the yatra. While permits for massive sound equipment and their unrelenting cacophony and the egregious use of state resources (showering flowers from helicopters) are some examples of this, the tolerance for a belligerent claim to public space much beyond the sanctioned routes and the conspicuous use of the yatra for outrageous communalisation by political leaders are far more troubling signs. Following reports of kanwariya aggression, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath did well to emphasise the need for “self-discipline” in spiritual undertakings such as the yatra, but it was also his administration that mooted the blatantly divisive “nameplate” measure in the name of faith. Hoardings welcoming kanwariyas to pit-stops are all about making political and quasi-political patronage conspicuous, assuring them of the backing of the powerful, and implicitly offering the promise that the State will overlook any disruption of public harmony.

The pilgrims undoubtedly have a right to public spaces, but not at the cost of having these overrun by hordes of young men quick to violence. The need now is to dial down State facilitation of muscular religiosity of any hue and revive the true spirit of the yatra — fundamentally a daunting pilgrimage made on foot, for the pilgrim’s own spiritual fulfilment, not a loud show-and-tell exercise.