Ban clamped on Kumbh processions

HARDWAR, APRIL 13: A ban has been clamped on the shahi-snan processions to be taken out by all 13 akharas on the Kumbh day tomorrow, under S...

HARDWAR, APRIL 13: A ban has been clamped on the shahi-snan processions to be taken out by all 13 akharas on the Kumbh day tomorrow, under Section 144 of the CrPC. The extraordinary step, taken by the Kumbh Mela administration in view of the ultimatum given to it by the Akhil Bharatiya Akhra Parishad (ABAP) yesterday evening, is likely to create tension among the akharas.

Talks broke down between authorities and groups of sadhus locked in a feud over which group takes holy dip first on the occasion of shahi-snan tomorrow.While warning that it will not allow the Juna Akhara (boycotted following

the March 28 violent incidents) to take a dip at the Brahmakund (Har-ki-Pauri) tomorrow, the ABAP in its letter said the administration and the Government alone would be responsible for all that happened in the event of the Juna Akhara being allowed to go to Har-ki-Pauri.

While a few people here did not approve of the extraordinary measure, many including sants hailed it as “the only wise thing the administrationcould have done in the circumstances”.

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Efforts had been on since the March 28 incidents of hooliganism to resolve the dispute between the Niranjani and Juna Akharas. Several meetings at different levels were held during the past one fortnight, but they yielded no results.

The ABAP in today evening declared it would not take out the shahi processions “in the interest of millions of devotees”.

In an order passed “unilaterally” and “taken on the basis of police reports”, Mela officer JP Sharma said that taking out a procession through the mela area by an akhara on April 14 “is banned with immediate effect under Section 144 of the CrPC.”

Giving the reason, the order states that in case a procession is taken out, a clash between the processionists and the devotees congregating here may take place, resulting in violence, riot, disruption of peace and loss of life.

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ABAP general secretary Govind Das, however, was sore that the Mela administration instead of punishing the guilty for the March 28incidents, put before akharas conditions for shahi-snan which they had never before heard of. He also regretted that the BJP leaders coming here to settle the akhara dispute did not contact them nor did they care to see the sadhus injured in the incidents on March 28.

Meanwhile, over 15 lakh devotees took a holy dip in the Ganga at various ghats here.