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Litmus test for Uttarakhand as Mahakumbh begins
The mega event, which generally lasts for four months, has been curtailed this year to one month due to a recent surge in Covid-19 cases in the state with several instances of a significant number of tourists testing positive especially in Rishikesh and Haridwar.
The month-long Mahakumbh began in Haridwar on Thursday amid strict Covid-19 restrictions, with chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat assuring devotees that none would be “unnecessarily harassed in the name of Covid-19 restrictions”.
The mega event, which generally lasts for four months, has been curtailed this year to one month due to a recent surge in Covid-19 cases in the state with several instances of a significant number of tourists testing positive especially in Rishikesh and Haridwar.
The chief minister said the government will ensure strict adherence to guidelines. “Mahakumbh is an event which is the centre of crores of Hindus’ faith and comes after every 12 years. Many people dream of taking the holy dip before their death. Considering all these, the devotees won’t face unnecessary restrictions but they would have to follow the Covid-19 SOP,” the CM said at a press conference.
Early in the morning, Mahakumbh officer Deepak Rawat and Mahakumbh inspector general Sanjay Gunjyal offered prayers at the Har ki Pauri Ganga ghat in Mela area.
Rawat said that holding the event during the pandemic was a challenge. “Organising it was not an easy task during Covid pandemic but with coordination and hard work, we have made all the arrangements for it to ensure a safe and healthy Mahakumbh with no untoward incident,” Rawat said. Urging devotees to adhere to the Covid-19 guidelines, he said, “The devotees coming here should follow the precautions including wearing a mask and maintaining social distance in the Mela area.”
Rawat, who was infected last month, had faced criticism for saying that faith could overcome fear of the virus and mingling with supporters in huge crowds without masks and distancing.
Experts recently raised concerns that with nearly 30 to 50 million pilgrims expected to arrive, the state could become a hotspot for the infection. The state government made a negative RT-PCR test mandatory for all those entering the state, particularly after the high court stepped in. Other guidelines included a compulsory registration on the government’s portal for the Mahakumbh.
While the state has advised people above the age of 60 or those with significant comorbidities to not attend the Mahakumbh, all attendees have been asked to carry medical reports.
The state recorded 500 new cases on Thursday, the highest daily cases this year, taking the tally to 100,911. The last time Uttarakhand reported over 500 cases was on December 23, 2020, when 564 cases were recorded in the state in a single day.
The administration has also deployed about 5,000 additional state and central paramilitary forces personnel in the core Kumbh Mela zone of Har-Ki-Pauri, adjacent Ganga ghats and inter-state border check posts.
At all nine inter-state border check posts, Indo Tibetan Border Police, Central Industrial Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, Provincial Armed Constabulary of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand along with state police personnel have also been deployed.
State director general of police Ashok Kumar said, “About 5,000 security personnel from various Central paramilitary forces and state police have been deployed for the security arrangements on the first day of the mega-event. For peak days, including Shahi Snaans, about 20,000 security personnel would be deployed.”
The pilgrim influx is expected to increase around the three Shahi Snans on April 12, April 14 and April 27.
The locals, however, questioned the additional security deployment and the stringent Covid-19 restrictions. “I commute from suburban Jwalapur but was checked and asked if I was vaccinated. Mela force personnel also stopped me before I entered the Mela zone. If this is the first day of Kumbh, surely locals and pilgrims will face one month of inconvenience in name of Covid guidelines,” said Tesu Raj, a local priest.
Swami Avimuktareshwaranand, head disciple of Shankaracharya Swami Swarupanand Saraswati of Badirnath-Dwarikapeeth, questioned why there were restrictions during the Mahakumbh even as polls are being conducted in four states and a union territory.
“For Mahakumbh, we saw strict guidelines with local people having a tough time entering Kumbh mela zone. Negative Covid-19 report is a harsh measure as people can’t bear the cost and they wait 12 years for this sacred dip,” he said.
