Simply shocking! Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed that the Kumbh Mela in Uttarakhand's Haridwar "should only be symbolic" amid an unprecedented increase in coronavirus cases across the country, Swami Avdheshanand Giri - one of the top seers in the country - announced an early end to the month-long mega festival for Juna Akhara. "Our first priority is the protection of the people of India (against Covid). In view of the coronavirus pandemic, we have performed the visarjan of all gods. This is the end of Kumbh for Juna Akhara," he tweeted in Hindi. Thousands of people attended the Kumbh Mela that began on April 1 at a time the country is logging over a lakh daily coronavirus cases consistently, triggering concerns that the religious congregation could make the Covid situation worse. Earlier this week, a top seer died because of COVID-19 and many others tested positive for the virus after attending the festival, which is scheduled to end on April 30.
With reports of a huge number of Covid positive cases from the ‘Kumbh Mela’ area in Haridwar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday appealed to observe the event as “symbolic” to strengthen the fight against the deadly virus.
The Prime Minister’s appeal comes as the annual event has sparked nationwide concern amid the alarming second wave of Covid-19 pandemic as tens of thousands of devotees have gathered along the banks of the Ganga in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar.
Taking to Twitter, the Prime Minister said that he spoke to top seer– Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha president Swami Avdheshanand Giri Ji Maharaj– over the phone and made an appeal about the event.
“I spoke to Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Swami Awadheshanand Giri on the phone on Saturday morning and got details about the health of all saints. I have prayed that two royal baths have taken place and that the Kumbh should be kept symbolic due to the crisis in Corona. This will give the fight strength from this crisis,” the Prime Minister said.
Modi thanked all the saints for giving all kinds of support to the administration.
Following this, Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha president tweeted: “We respect Prime Minister’s appeal. I request the people to not come for snan in large numbers, in the wake of Covid-19 situation, and follow all rules.”
The Prime Minister’s appeal came after a Hindu seer is reportedly lost his life after Covid-19 infection and nearly 100 other holy men have tested positive after attending a vast Indian religious festival where millions of pilgrims have been ignoring Covid-19 advice despite a national surge in infections.
India reported 2,34,692 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the biggest single-day spike ever, taking the overall tally to 14,526,609 cases on Saturday, according to the Health Ministry data.
The Niranjan Akhada has announced curtailing the ongoing Kumbh Mela on April 17, almost two weeks ahead of schedule, after several senior BJP leaders in Uttarakhand held discussion with the Akhadas to convince them to end it amid a surge in Covid-19 cases and concerns of violation of Covid protocols, a senior party leader said.
However, the BJP-ruled state government has already announced that Kumbh Mela will go on as per schedule. The Kumbh Mela started on April 1 and was scheduled to end on April 30.
“Senior BJP leaders met 13 Akhadas with a request to take a decision to wind up the mela seeing the severe situation of Covid. After the discussion, Akhadas have agreed to our request.
“After the Niranjani Akhada, most of the Akhadas have responded positively to our request and in the next couple of days, they will make the announcement,” the senior party leader from the hill state said.
The state government is also holding consultations to take a final call on the continuation of Mela.
“Currently, the state is not in favour of curtailing the Kumbh Mela but seeing the sudden surge of Covid cases, a discussion has started to review the decision. Discussions with the religious channels have also been initiated,” another senior BJP leader said.
Several devotees including saints from different Akhadas have tested Covid positive in Haridwar. Lakh of devotees participated in the last two ‘Shahi Snans’ violating Covid protocols by not wearing masks or maintaining social distancing.
In a significant decision, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said that all those pilgrims returning from the holy Kumbh fair in Uttarakhand won’t be allowed direct entry into their villages and towns. First, they will be RT-PCR screened for Corona infection and shall be quarantined and isolated for 14 days in case they are found positive.
The Gujarat CM said that all district collectors have been instructed on this.
Taking a serious call on the Covid-19 outbreak in the state, while briefing the media in Jamnagar on Saturday, the Gujarat CM said, “The administration is doing all it can to curb the spread of the coronavirus and ensure that minimum people get infected in the state. In this context, all the returnees from the Kumbh Mela will not be allowed a direct entry into the villages and towns.”
“Every one of them will be RT-PCR tested and if found positive, will be isolated for 14 days before letting them go to their places. We have instructed all the district collectors regarding this decision so that the administration can prepare itself for such entrants and ensure that such people do not get access to their villages and towns,” the CM said.
The situation in Gujarat is dire as far as the outbreak is concerned. The state saw around 9,000 people getting detected for coronavirus infection and a little under a hundred lost their lives on Friday due to the pandemic.
The outbreak has not limited itself to major cities, as was the case before, but has also gained access to small towns and villages.
The Chief Minister and as well as the Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel visited Jamnagar as well as Kutch on Saturday to take stock of the situation. (IANS)