E-Paper
SC ‘disturbed’ by Uttar Pradesh’s decision to hold kanwar yatra
The bench of justices Rohinton F Nariman and BR Gavai observed that “the citizens of India are completely perplexed and don’t know what is going on” when different states are adopting different stance on the kanwar yatra.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it is a “little disturbed” by the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to allow the kanwar yatra despite widespread fears of a third wave of Covid-19, taking suo motu (on its own) cognisance of the issue, and sought explanations from the Union and the relevant state governments on the proposed religious pilgrimage and “disparate political voices” on avoiding large gatherings.
The bench of justices Rohinton F Nariman and BR Gavai observed that “the citizens of India are completely perplexed and don’t know what is going on” when different states are adopting different stance on the kanwar yatra.
It pointed out that Uttar Pradesh is pressing ahead with the kanwar yatra that attracts millions of people while the neighbouring state of Uttarakhand, “with its hindsight of experience,” has suspended it over apprehensions of a possible third wave of the coronavirus disease. The kanwar yatra sees around 30 million pilgrims walking to Haridwar in Uttarakhand, picking up water of the Ganga, and walking back home, usually to states in north and north-west India. Uttarakhand, which went ahead with the Kumbh Mela despite warnings fro public health experts, saw a sharp increase in Covid-19 infections soon after and its management of the event has also come under question with the unearthing of a fake Covid tests racket.
The irony of Uttarakhand saying no to the event, Uttar Pradesh saying yes, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi telling chief ministers of north-eastern states that it is up to the people to stop the third wave of the pandemic by adhering to safety protocols (“We cannot compromise even a bit,” he said) , all on the same day, was not lost on the court.
“Given the disparate political voices, all speaking at the same time, it is important that the relevant secretary, Union of India, respond,” said the bench in its order, asking the Centre and governments of UP and Uttarakhand to file their replies by the morning of July 16, when the matter will be heard again.
Uttar Pradesh cancelled the yatra last year but is keen on holding it this year, especially with assembly polls in the state scheduled for early 2022.
“We are in touch with the Uttarakhand government and will coordinate with it for the Kanwar yatra. We are also getting in touch with the kanwar sanghs (associations) to minimise the number of kanwariyas (pilgrims) and ensure that the Covid-19 protocol is followed,” said UP chief secretary RK Tiwari on Wednesday.
The court noted that the yatra, in which Shiva devotees travel hundreds of kilometres to fetch water from the Ganga and carry it back to their villages, will begin from July 25, and hence, it is necessary to hear it urgently.
Solicitor general Tushar Mehta was in the court on behalf of the Union government while Uttarakhand was represented by advocate Abhishek Atrey. A response from Uttarakhand has been necessitated since Haridwar is home to the yatra’s destination.
The bench also took note of a newspaper report that, in 2019, the last time the yatra was organised, nearly 35 million devotees visited Haridwar while over 20 million people visited pilgrimage spots in Western UP.
According to a transcript of his speech shared by the government after the PM’s interaction with the CMs of north-eastern states on Tuesday, Modi expressed concern over the crowds at hill stations and markets where people are not wearing masks or following Covid-19 protocols. Modi was meeting the CMs to take stock of the situation in the N-E states where cases have increased in recent weeks while most other parts of the country have shown a drop in new infections. The seven-day average of new cases was 40,205 on July 13, down from its peak of 391,819 on May 9, when the second wave of the viral pandemic was ravaging India.
Later on Tuesday, at a press briefing in New Delhi, Lav Aggarwal, joint secretary in the Union health ministry, also said that people are violating Covid protocols across the country and “the third wave may be caused because of this behaviour”.
Months after the Mahakumbh drew 9.1 million devotees and seeded clusters of infections during the second wave, concerns have grown over the kanwar yatra.
Uttarakhand on Tuesday announced scrapping the annual pilgrimage this year, heeding warnings from health experts who cautioned that millions of devotees thronging the banks of the Ganga in Haridwar could spark a devastating third wave of Covid-19 infections and trigger clusters of cases across north India.
The hill state also turned down a request from Uttar Pradesh, which allowed the pilgrimage — where devotees travel on foot or cycle to fetch water from the Ganga to their village shrines — to begin from July 25.
“We don’t want to make Haridwar the centre of Covid. People’s lives are our first priority,” said chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami following a meeting with state officials and experts on Tuesday. On July 6, Uttarakhand decided to stop all kanwar devotees from entering the state, but decided to review its decision two days later after UP CM Yogi Adityanath called Dhami. Uttarakhand also goes to polls in early 2022.
