- Tuesday, April 30, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
THE Supreme Court of India on Friday (16) asked the northern state of Uttar Pradesh to inform it by July 19 whether it would reassess its decision to hold a “symbolic” ‘Kanwar Yatra’ in the state, saying the right to life is paramount.
A bench of the apex court comprising justices RF Nariman and BR Gavai said it is of the prima facie view that all kinds of sentiments are subservient to Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.
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It added that the “Uttar Pradesh government cannot be allowed to hold ‘Kanwar Yatra’ in view of Covid”. The court’s decision came after the state government told the bench that it has decided after relevant discussions to hold a “symbolic” yatra with appropriate Covid restrictions in place.
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Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that the states shall not be allowed to hold the popular procession in view of the pandemic and arrangements for water from the holy river of Ganga should be made by tankers at specified places.
The yatra is organised in the Hindu calendar month of Shravana. Saffron-clad devotees of Lord Shiva generally walk barefoot on the occasion with pitchers of water from Ganga or any other holy river. The water, which is carried on decorated slings (Kanwars) on their shoulders, is used by the pilgrims to worship Shiva at various shrines of importance.
Uttar Pradesh’s northern neighbour Uttarakhand, which had come under severe criticism earlier this year after massive crowds were allowed for the occasion of the Maha Kumbh Mela in Haridwar amid the surge in the pandemic, has banned the yatra this year.
On July 14, the Supreme Court had taken suo motu cognisance of media reports on the Yogi Adityanath government’s decision to allow the ‘Kanwar Yatra amid the pandemic and sought responses from the state as well as the Narendra Modi government “given the disparate political voices” on the matter.
It also referred to a statement made by Modi recently that not even a bit of compromise can be made on the containment of Covid and added that the citizens were perplexed about what was going on after the Uttar Pradesh government allowed the religious festival to commence from July 25. It also issued notices to the Centre besides the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
