Kanwars: Let's Pause, Reflect and Recalibrate

Unfortunately, miscreants, anti-social elements muscle their way into such journeys of faith

- SHASHI SHEKHAR

Let me share three snapshots from one of North India's biggest pilgrimages.

Scene 1: Place: Modinagar, district: Ghaziabad. The Kanwar procession halted, with hundreds of devotees clapping and surrounding a woman and her physically challenged husband chanting "Har Har Mahadev". The reason? This villager, Asha Devi, was undertaking Kanwar pilgrimage carrying her husband on her back. She believed it would not only cure him of his disability but also result in his employment.

Scene 2: Place: Lachhiwala in Dehradun. A large contingent of Kanwariyas is resting. Powerful boom speakers are playing devotional songs inspired by Bollywood music. Suddenly, a large elephant charges towards them. Utter pandemonium ensues. After flipping a tractor trolley, the elephant drops its aggressive stance and retreats towards the jungle. Wildlife experts say high decibel sound disturbs the sleep pattern of the wild animals, making them irritable and aggressive.

Scene 3: Place: Mirzapur. A video of young Kanwariyas, in which they are roughing up a soldier, goes viral. The soldier in uniform isn't giving in. Every time he falls, he gets up to take on his attackers. The video evokes the memories of the 'disturbed areas' of Kashmir and the North Eastern region.