E-Paper
No Ardh Kumbh fair if Ganga not cleaned
With Ganga Jal in their palms, hundreds of seers and saints from across the country vowed not to allow holding of the Ardh Kumbh fair as long as the administration and government do not give them in writing the certificate of purity of water. If needed they would not hesitate in committing suicide on the banks of the holy river which has been defaced and defiled despite loud protests made by them over the years, they said in unison at the Teekarmafi Ashram of Swami Harichaitanya Brahmachari at Jhusi here today.
Saints threaten to commit suicide
With Ganga Jal in their palms, hundreds of seers and saints from across the country vowed not to allow holding of the Ardh Kumbh fair as long as the administration and government do not give them in writing the certificate of purity of water. If needed they would not hesitate in committing suicide on the banks of the holy river which has been defaced and defiled despite loud protests made by them over the years, they said in unison at the Teekarmafi Ashram of Swami Harichaitanya Brahmachari at Jhusi here today.
The saints had assembled in Prayag for a four-month-long 'Chaturmas'. This is the period when they congregate in Prayag from various parts of the country and carry out jap, tap and havan for purity and emancipation.
But before leaving for their respective destinations they had assembled at the Teekarmafi Ashram to express their concern over inaction of the government and administration on the issue.
Its a cruel joke with the faith and belief of millions of Hindus for whom Prayag is the land of salvation which comes following a mere glance of the holy river, said a saint from Karnataka.
Reminiscing the days when the river water used to be of white colour another saint said it is just the belief and faith which is drawing people to the river but in reality there is hardly any evidence left of the power of the water to cure diseases. Since early morning the concern was writ large on the faces of the saints who had assembled at the Teekarmafi Ashram. They all knew what had they come for. After a meeting they all walked upto the river, lifted the water in their hands and vowed not to allow holding of the Ardh Kumbh event till the holy river is not cleaned.
We will boycott the fair and urge others to follow suit, said Swami Harichaitanya who is one among several important saints carrying out crusade against the pollution of the holy Ganga.
He said that 30 tanneries in Kanpur had been closed following a HC order but an equal number were still continuously polluting the river.
Besides there were several big drains releasing sewage into Ganga at Kanpur.
The court had also ordered the closure of the drains but action is yet to be taken by authorities in Kanpur, he rued. The same situation exists in Allahabad.
The court had ordered tapping of the drains but the same is yet to be done, he added.
