Kanwar Yatra: The BJP's Divisive Tactics Have Reached a New Low

It is encouraging that nearly all political parties have vocally condemned this segregation by two BJP governments.

In UP and Uttarakhand, the government recently ordered all shopkeepers to display their names prominently on the signboards of their business establishments—a blatant attempt to add fuel to the fire. They have also been asked to declare, and display, the names of their employees.

The rationale given to defend this order sounds innocuous and innocent. Authorities and BJP leaders say this is being done to ensure that the kanwariyas are not confused while buying provisions, especially food items, which would violate the rules of their holy conduct stipulated for the Kanwar Yatra. One of the main elements of this sacred conduct is keeping away from 'non-vegetarian' food. They say that there is nothing wrong in respecting the right of the Kanwar Yatris to maintain a vegetarian diet (indeed, nothing wrong, it's their choice), which in their view is synonymous with Satwik Aahar.

This is the month of Sawan, considered holy by the devotees of Shiva across India. In this period, devotees take water from a river, preferably the Ganga, and offer the holy water to a shrine of Shiva which is famous in their areas. I belong to Deoghar, a town in Jharkhand famous for its Shiv temple. Since my childhood, I have seen devotees from all parts of the state and even from outside travelling to Sultanganj, taking the holy Ganga Jal and undertaking on foot a Kanwar Yatra to offer this holy water to Shiva residing in the temple of Deoghar. Such yatras take place everywhere in India in different forms.