‘Distortion’: Seers, religious bodies appeal for peace amid Kanwariyas’ vandalism

ABAP president Mahant Ravindra Puri expressed dismay at the increasing reports of Kanwariya violence and said yatra is about “compassion” and not “aggression”.

Amid recent incidents of violence reported during the ongoing Kanwar Yatra, the Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad (ABAP) on Tuesday appealed to devotees to uphold the spiritual sanctity of the age-old pilgrimage and refrain from actions that undermine its religious significance.

Kanwariyas carrying holy water from the Ganga in Haridwar on their way back to their hometown in Alwar district, Rajasthan, during the Kanwar Yatra, at National Highway-48 near Rajiv Chowk, in Gurugram. (Hindustan Times)

According to data from the Mela Police Force Control Room, over 170 kanwariyas have been booked under charges such as hooliganism, rioting, blocking highways, obstructing police officials, breach of peace, and wrongful restraint, among others, in just five days since the Kanwar Yatra began on July 11.

ABAP president Mahant Ravindra Puri expressed dismay at the increasing reports of violence and said the yatra is about “compassion” and not “aggression”.

“This is not just a journey; it’s a deep act of devotion that dates back to Treta Yug when Lord Parshuram is said to have first brought the Kanwar from Haridwar. Later, Shravan Kumar carried his parents on a Kanwar, symbolising service, sacrifice, and devotion. Kanwariyas must remember they are following the footsteps of such revered figures. This yatra is about compassion and penance, not aggression and chaos, “ he said.

Mahamandaleshwar Swami Harichetnanand Maharaj of the Shri Panchayati Naya Bada Udasin Akhada expressed concerns over “a distortion of the yatra’s essence”. He said, “...We are seeing kanwariyas pass Ganga Jal pitchers like batons in a relay race, which is a distortion of the yatra’s essence...”

Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand high court on Tuesday sought a response from the state’s director general of police Deepam Seth and Panchayati Raj Secretary Chandresh Kumar Yadav on how the state plans to manage conducting Panchayat elections at a time when the state is witnessing huge influx of Kanwariyas and prevailing monsoon conditions across the state. Taking serious note of recent incidents of violence reported during the Kanwar Yatra, the court has directed that the response be submitted by Wednesday, when the case will be heard again.