It is hoped that the officials entrusted by the Uttarakhand government to nab ‘Kalnemis’ among saffron clad ‘babas’ are capable of identifying those committing fraud by promising divine solutions to people’s problems. As far as tradition goes, there is no ‘qualification’ required to adopt the ascetic way of life, it is just a turning away from the material world in the quest for spiritual growth and enlightenment. It certainly does not require knowledge of the scriptures and religious rituals – that is the job of the pandit.
It is expected, therefore, that those nabbed as ‘Kalnemis’ should be caught in the act of duping people, and mere difficulty in explaining themselves to the cops should not be considered evidence of crime. The ruling BJP, since it is so rooted in the ‘Sanatan’ culture and civilisation, should know that there are many paths to higher planes of existence and these need not necessarily conform to a government’s idea of it. As such, those entrusted with distinguishing between the true seeker and the fraud should, perhaps, be made to undergo a course in ‘Hindu studies’ – perhaps the one newly launched by Doon University. The history of Hinduism is replete with tales of how people attained enlightenment – remember the one who could not articulate ‘Ram Ram’ and was asked to say ‘Mara Mara’ repeatedly and ended up getting it right? What would have happened if he had been apprehended during the first phase of the practice by an overzealous cop? No Valmiki, no Ramayana! And what if a sadhu is jolted out of his penance into delivering a ‘shraap’ against the powers that be? It is not the government’s job to interpret and enforce a middle-class version of Hinduism.
Anyway, the Dhami Government can take credit for being ‘secular’ in its approach to wrongdoers – not just illegal mazaars, the Kalnemis are also the target. It can keep at it as long the priorities are right – ensuring a safe Kanwar Yatra involves making arrangements for every yatri’s welfare, even while taking care of the locals’ security and convenience. The rules should be few but enforceable. Too many regulations with too few cops available will turn the entire exercise of being ‘Kanwar friendly’ inoperable. Going by what has already been experienced, ensuring there is no breach of law and order is the first priority. If there are no more incidents of random attacks on the roads, the yatra arrangements can be declared satisfactory.
