Kanwar Yatra: Despite IMA's concerns, UP govt wants yatra with some restrictions
Premium- Despite concerns raised by experts, the Uttar Pradesh government has allowed the yatra from July 25
Kanwar Yatra 2021: Just a day after the Indian Medical Association (IMA) urged the Uttarakhand government not to go ahead with Kanwar Yatra, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the yatra should be allowed with certain restrictions like mandatory RT-PCR Covid test. Yogi has also urged that only a minimum number of people should participate in the annual Kanwar Yatra yatra.
Despite concerns raised by experts, the Uttar Pradesh government has allowed the yatra from July 25. It, however, has said that a negative RT-PCR test report can be made compulsory for pilgrims, if required.
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Kanwar Yatra is an annual event in which devotees of Lord Shiva from northern states travel on foot or by other means to collect water from River Ganga at Haridwar to offer at Shiva temples in their areas.
An official spokesperson today said that the traditional Kanwar Yatra in UP will be taken out as per the Covid protocol. "The RT-PCR negative report could also be made necessary for the yatra, if required," the spokesman was quoted as saying.
The spokesperson said that in view of the Covid situation, the Chief Minister has directed that Kanwar Sanghs should be requested for the participation of a minimum number of people in the yatra. He also said that necessary guidelines should be issued for travel by holding a dialogue with the states of Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttarakhand, according to PTI.
This comes just a day after the IMA wrote to Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami to disallow the Kanwar Yatra in light of the possible third Covid wave.
In the letter, IMA Uttarakhand State Secretary Dr Ajay Khanna expressed concerns about the huge crowds that may gather for the annual pilgrimage and urged Dhami not to allow devotees from outside to enter the state for the Yatra.
The 'Kanwar Yatra' was cancelled last year due to the rising infection cases.
"I request you to disallow the coming proposed Kanwar Yatra in July - August 2021... We should not allow devotees to enter the boundaries of our state and keep the state safe from the third wave of COVID," Dr Khanna said.
Last week, Pushkar Singh Dhami had said that Kanwar Yatra was not a one-state affair and the state government would take the decision after discussing it with other states, including Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
He also said that the yatra is a matter of shraddha (reverence) and aastha (faith), and God would not like anyone to die. During the annual Yatra, pilgrims from several states visit Haridwar, Gaumukh, and Gangotri in Uttarakhand to fetch the water from the river Ganga.
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