Face of Nation : New Delhi:It is that time of the year when the annual pilgrimage of Shiva devotees, known as ‘Kanwariyas’, takes place with much fanfare.
The Kanwariyas undertake the arduous ‘Kanwar Yatra’ on foot, wherein they travel to holy places of Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Sultanganj in Bihar to fetch sacred waters of River Ganga and bring them to their local Shiva temples. As a mark of faith and devotion, Kanwariyas are often received with warmth and affection by locals they meet along their journey.
However, over the last few years, the holy ritual of the annual pilgrimage has been marred with incidents of hooliganism and violence, often perpetrated by members of the Kanwar Yatra. To make matters worse, incidents of police and local administration – particularly in Uttar Pradesh – giving the Kanwariyas a ‘VVIP treatment’ have become a common affair.
Recently, Gautam Buddh Nagar district administration issued a diktat exempting the Kanwariyas from the ‘no helmet no fuel’ rule in the region. All fuel stations in the district have been asked to allow Kanwariyas to purchase fuel even if they are not wearing helmets, in contrast to the rule where riders are not allowed to buy fuel if they are not wearing a helmet. On Saturday, a video of Shamli superintendent of police (SP) giving a foot massage to a Kanwariya at a local health camp went viral on social media. Shamli SP Ajay Kumar Pandey said that he did this as a “symbolic service to the pilgrims.”
On the other hand, on Friday, senior police officials including the commissioner of Saharanpur, DIG, DM and the SSP of Saharanpur, showered flower petals on Kanwar yatris in Saharanpur of Uttar Pradesh.
A similar feat was carried out by ADG Prashant Kumar who had showered flower petals on the Shiva devotees while onboard a chopper, stoking a massive controversy. Meanwhile, the district administration of Basti has ordered for the toll booth on the National Highway 28 to remain closed for 72 hours in the light of the Kanwar Yatra. According to a report, the closure of the toll booth would cause an approximate loss of over Rs 2 crore.
