Kanwar associations in Uttar Pradesh call off annual yatra this year

LUCKNOW: The standoff over kanwar yatra in Uttar Pradesh was resolved when kanwar associations on Saturday decided to call it off in view of the coronavirus pandemic and experts predicting a third wave in coming months.
Additional chief secretary (information) Navneet Sehgal said that after an appeal by the UP government, the kanwar associations decided to postpone the yatra this year.

On Friday, a Supreme Court bench led by Justice RF Nariman had directed the UP government to reconsider its decision to allow the annual religious yatra, scheduled to start from July 25.
After this, Chief minister Yogi Adityanath had instructed additional chief secretary Awanish Awasthi and DGP Mukul Goel to talk to kanwar associations to reach a final decision before the government filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court on Monday. The government sources said that the kanwar association took the decision to call off the yatra after talks with UP government representatives.
The yatra undertaken annually by devotees of Lord Shiva to bring water from sacred rivers, mainly the Ganga in Haridwar, to offer it to the deity in the month of Shravan, was cancelled last year by both UP and Uttarakhan in view of the pandemic.
This year, too, Uttarakhand cancelled it after it drew flak over the organisation of Kumbh early this year. However, UP wanted to hold it with Covid protocol. The Supreme Court then took suo motu cognizance of the issue and served notice on the UP government.
On Friday, the SC had asked the UP government not to allow even a symbolic yatra in light of the pandemic. It went on to say that if the government did not call it off, the court would be forced to pass an order.
To this, the government had said that “if” the yatra took place, it would happen in accordance with Covid-19 protocols and “with the consent of kanwar associations”.
Uttarakhand was earlier forced to suspend the Char Dham Yatra after the Uttarakhand high court had pulled it up for allowing the Kumbh Mela in the middle of the second wave.