When mobs derail a faith yatra

Extensive State patronage for the Kanwar Yatra has also emboldened the law-breakers

In July, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan in uniform was brutally attacked by a group of kanwariyas at the Mirzapur Railway Station. The reason? The jawan asked the group not to jump the queue at the ticket counter. According to the Railway Police, the attackers were arrested and released as it is a non-cognisable offence. The jawan, Gautam Kumar, was to board a train to Dimapur to proceed to Manipur, where he was posted.

Another CRPF jawan, Krishan Kumar, 30, who had come home from his post in Chhattisgarh, was shot dead in the Kheri Damkan village in Sonipat, Haryana, by a few suspected kanwariyas with whom he had a brawl in Haridwar. A woman two-wheeler rider was assaulted by a group of kanwariyas after her vehicle grazed a kanwar (the pot containing Ganga water) in Haridwar.

The Kanwar Yatra began on July 11 and concluded on July 23. While 41.4 million kanwariyas visited Haridwar last year, the number shot up to 45 million this year. Till about the end of July, the kanwariyas who set out from Haridwar were still on their way to their home-towns, largely spread over Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Delhi. The yatris offer the Ganga water, which they collect from Haridwar, at Shiva temples in their localities.

Until about a decade ago, the kanwariyas could be seen trudging barefoot along the roads in small batches at considerable distance, in an orderly manner. With passing years, as their numbers swelled, they have taken over the roads. Many road users let them pass to avoid entering into altercations – even a trivial issue could get blown up into vandalism and violence.

With the yatra enjoying immense State patronage, particularly in the states of Uttarakhand and UP, and Delhi, the rise in numbers is not unexpected. The Chief Ministers of UP and Delhi, along with their officials, showered petals on the kanwariyas. A few years ago, a police officer of the rank of Additional Director General was seen hovering in a helicopter along the yatra route, showering petals on the yatris. In Delhi, as many as 374 registered camps were set up for the kanwariyas for rest, medical aid, and meals. The Delhi government also plans to hike the financial assistance allocated to the registered kanwar committees next year.

Over 70,000 policemen, including Home Guards and Provincial Armed Constabulary of the UP Police and Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel, were lined up along the route to maintain law and order in UP. In Delhi, nearly 10,000 police and CAPF personnel were deployed on routes frequented by the kanwariyas.

Though the police received complaints of unruly behaviour, there was not much they could do apart from request the kanwariyas to maintain calm and proceed with the yatra. In Haridwar, over a dozen FIRs were registered, and 17 arrested. Cases were registered against 150 unidentified kanwariyas for violence and unruly behaviour. In Delhi, over 250 complaints were received, but no FIRs were lodged. The policemen were cautious in handling the rowdy elements, ensuring that the situation did not get out of hand in the frenzied atmosphere.

Traffic violations and accidents

Earlier, the kanwariyas would walk the distance to Haridwar, unmindful of the hardships and the blisters on their feet. Of late, they have started to move on motorbikes and trucks with boom boxes playing loud music. Complaints regarding music played beyond permissible levels, particularly at night in residential areas, were ignored as the police were directed not to escalate the situation.

Speeding and the violation of traffic rules all along the route were largely overlooked. Three to four kanwariyas riding on a motorbike without helmets was a common sight. Who could dare to rein them in? Some of them met with fatal consequences – three died and two were injured when an ambulance crashed into their bikes on the Delhi-Meerut road. Three others died when their bike rammed into a road divider on the Delhi-Meerut expressway. Reports said none of them wore helmets.

While the law enforcers may turn a blind eye to the lawlessness that was reported along the yatra route, right under their noses, they cannot absolve themselves of the responsibilities for the vandalism and the deaths that occur on the roads during the event. Neither can they be mute spectators to the inconvenience caused to the public by the unruly elements among the yatris.

(The writer is a retired Inspector General of Police, CRPF)