New Delhi: A disturbing news about Uttar Pradesh’s decision to allow ‘Kanwar Yatra’ during Covid-19 pandemic was taken up by the Supreme Court on Wednesday. It sought responses from the state and the Centre for ‘given the diversity of political views’ on the issue.
A bench headed by Justice R F Nariman referred to the statement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that no compromise can be made on COVID-19 containment and said citizens were confused about the situation since the UP government has allowed the religious ‘yatra’ to begin starting July 25.
On Friday, it sent notices to the Centre and to the state governments of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
The bench, which also included Justice B R Gavai, stated that it was ‘little disturbed’ to read that UP has decided to go forward with the Kanwar yatra, while Uttarakhand, based on its experience, is refusing to participate. In response to a news report, the apex court has issued notice to the Union of India as well as the states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand to submit their response as soon as possible.
There is a headline (in the newspaper) just above this headline which refers to the Prime Minister’s statement when he met the North-East Chief Ministers that we must stop the third wave of Covid-19 virus from striking Indian citizens.
‘Given the disparate political views, the court mandated that the relevant Secretary, Union of India, responded to this news report. Since this Yatra is to begin from July 25, 2021, a short time-frame is needed in this case,’ it said.
The court directed that responses to this news article be filed by the relevant secretaries, the Union of India; Uttarakhand Principal Secretary; and Uttar Pradesh Principal Secretary by Friday, July 16, 2021. It instructed the Registry Chief Justice of India to send a copy of this order immediately. ‘We want to know what the government’s position is,’ said the bench.
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Yogi Adityanath’s government on Tuesday approved the yatra, despite concerns raised in various quarters regarding the risk such events might pose of triggering another COVID-19 outbreak.
However, the UP Chief Minister has directed a strict implementation of the COVID-19 protocol and urged a minimum number of people to participate in the annual Kanwar Yatra.
Each year, tens of thousands of ‘Kanwariyas’ (devotees of Lord Shiva) from northern states cross the Ganga at Haridwar to collect water to offer at Shiva temples in their areas as part of the yatra. In the meantime, the Uttarakhand government has canceled the Kanwar Yatra in anticipation of a possible third wave.
According to Pushkar Singh Dhami, the Kanwar Yatra is part of Sanatan culture, but saving lives during a pandemic is paramount. This fortnight-long yatra begins with the onset of Shravan by the Hindu calendar and goes till the first week of August and attracts thousands of Kanwariyas from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi to Haridwar to collect the holy waters of the Ganga.
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