Delhi-Haridwar Kanwar yatra: Why are we making a grand spectacle of religious celebrations in a secular state?

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*
The huge Kanwar yatra during the season of Savan has started. Devotees of Lord Shiva will be carrying water from the places known to have an important place in mythology, like Haridwar, Devghar, Varanasi etc, to their homes. The Delhi-Meerut-Haridwar high way is virtually closed for nearly one week to ensure that the devotees are comfortable. On the road from Hardiwar to Delhi, political parties have put huge hoardings to welcome the devotees and camps for them to relax.
Kanwar yatra is considered to be very auspicious for many people. It was carried out by men only, but with changing times, women too have started participating in it. The highway is packed with pop-devotees, with Bhajans based on latest Bollywood numbers. This is a 'grand-masti' for many who want to get rid of their monotonous schedule of life.
During this one week, all the commuters in NCR or Delhi Meerut highway will have severe problems due to restrictions in traffic. In the last two decades, the yatra has been magnified in such a way, as if the yatris are 'deshbhakts' and they are all set fight a war on the border. This clever pattern of making yatris look 'important' and 'brave', such as soldiers, attracts ever more people.
While I have no issues with people's personal choices of believing in God, I do have problems with the manner in which these yatras are promoted and encouraged. A new rowdy culture is being promoted, and people fear violence from these Kanwaris whenever any mishap happens. Often strange rumours float around during the yatra.
One witnesses strange scenes like a baba wearing over 30 kilogrammes of gold walking all the way -- he is called Golden Baba. This man loves Rolls Royce and other luxury vehicles. We do not how Hinduism, which these people celebrate, allows such persons to be spiritual leaders. If you really love your God, it should be done in a peaceful and dignified way. Even the concept of Shiva should to be celebrated in the way He was, and not the way how political bhakts have converted him into.
As traffic snarls, those who are disturbed include senior citizens and the sick. This needs to be seriously looked into. Should any political party promote such activities? Why are we making a grand spectacle of religious celebrations in a secular state? Can't it be personal and without any problems for common people?
For next few days one has to be prepared for all the hullabaloo by the Kanwars. Hope some day some sociologist would do a caste-class analysis of this yatra and why it attracts so many of the most marginalised communities. Also, one has to ponder as how do people manage contradictions in India, claiming to be radical, even as doing bhakti.

---

*Human rights activist. Source: Author's Facebook timeline

Comments

Uma said…

The present government does not recognise 'common people'. People are either with them or against them.

August 04, 2018

Grueling summer ahead: Cuttack’s alarming health trends and what they mean for Odisha

By Sudhansu R Das The preparation to face the summer should begin early in Odisha. People in the state endure long, grueling summer months starting from mid-February and extending until the end of October. This prolonged heat adversely affects productivity, causes deaths and diseases, and impacts agriculture, tourism and the unorganized sector. The social, economic and cultural life of the state remains severely disrupted during the peak heat months.

Stronger India–Russia partnership highlights a missed energy breakthrough

By N.S. Venkataraman* The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India was widely publicized across several countries and has attracted significant global attention. The warmth with which Mr. Putin was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was particularly noted, prompting policy planners worldwide to examine the implications of this cordial relationship for the global economy and political climate. India–Russia relations have stood on a strong foundation for decades and have consistently withstood geopolitical shifts. This is in marked contrast to India’s ties with the United States, which have experienced fluctuations under different U.S. administrations.

From natural farming to fair prices: Young entrepreneurs show a new path

By Bharat Dogra There have been frequent debates on agro-business companies not showing adequate concern for the livelihoods of small farmers. Farmers’ unions have often protested—generally with good reason—that while they do not receive fair returns despite high risks and hard work, corporate interests that merely process the crops produced by farmers earn disproportionately high profits. Hence, there is a growing demand for alternative models of agro-business development that demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting farmer livelihoods.

The Vande Mataram debate and the politics of manufactured controversy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The recent Vande Mataram debate in Parliament was never meant to foster genuine dialogue. Each political party spoke past the other, addressing its own constituency, ensuring that clips went viral rather than contributing to meaningful deliberation. The objective was clear: to construct a Hindutva narrative ahead of the Bengal elections. Predictably, the Lok Sabha will likely expunge the opposition’s “controversial” remarks while retaining blatant inaccuracies voiced by ministers and ruling-party members. The BJP has mastered the art of inserting distortions into parliamentary records to provide them with a veneer of historical legitimacy.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

The cost of being Indian: How inequality and market logic redefine rights

By Vikas Gupta We, the people of India, are engaged in a daily tryst—read: struggle—for basic human rights. For the seemingly well-to-do, the wish list includes constant water supply, clean air, safe roads, punctual public transportation, and crime-free neighbourhoods. For those further down the ladder, the struggle is starker: food that fills the stomach, water that doesn’t sicken, medicines that don’t kill, houses that don’t flood, habitats at safe distances from polluted streams or garbage piles, and exploitation-free environments in the public institutions they are compelled to navigate.

Why India must urgently strengthen its policies for an ageing population

By Bharat Dogra A quiet but far-reaching demographic transformation is reshaping much of the world. As life expectancy rises and birth rates fall, societies are witnessing a rapid increase in the proportion of older people. This shift has profound implications for public policy, and the need to strengthen frameworks for healthy and secure ageing has never been more urgent. India is among the countries where these pressures will intensify most sharply in the coming decades.

Thota Sitaramaiah: An internal pillar of an underground organisation

By Harsh Thakor* Thota Sitaramaiah was regarded within his circles as an example of the many individuals whose work in various underground movements remained largely unknown to the wider public. While some leaders become visible through organisational roles or media attention, many others contribute quietly, without public recognition. Sitaramaiah was considered one such figure. He passed away on December 8, 2025, at the age of 65.

Proposals for Babri Masjid, Ram Temple spark fears of polarisation before West Bengal polls

By A Representative A political debate has emerged in West Bengal following recent announcements about plans for new religious structures in Murshidabad district, including a proposed mosque to be named Babri Masjid and a separate announcement by a BJP leader regarding the construction of a Ram temple in another location within Behrampur.

Search This Blog