‘Kanwad’ – A Conundrum

By S Paul

Come the Monsoon and it brings a natural deluge of life-giving water and, in these parts of our nation, an artificially created deluge of pampered humans. It is an ancient tradition based on Aastha (faith). It used to be a gently flowing stream of genuinely devout Bhartiya about 6 decades ago. I can vouch for this statement as I spent 10 years of my childhood in Khatauli in Muzaffarnagar district. Residents of such small towns used to set up voluntary stalls to honour these devotees. But since then, eulogised by our politicians and enthusiastically supported by the rightists in our country this rowdy lot in the garb of devout sanatanis have started gravely affecting the lives of common people and daily services in this part of our nation. Students going to their education institutes, interstate milk-vegetable-fruit suppliers, daily wagers, public transport carrying office and corporate employees, housekeeper women venturing out to purchase daily needs, all face the consequences. Is this a fair display of our democratic system? We who face the brunt of this unruly youth feel that this fervour needs to be strictly controlled. So that, instead of cursing the Kanwadias we are emotionally encouraged to bless them for their righteousness. Some steps are suggested below.

1. Pre-registration of Kanwadias, as is being done for Amarnath and Kailash yatras. Check posts to be established every 10 or so kilometres to sift out rowdies from the registered ones. It should not be made free for every ‘Tom-Dick and Harry’. The states from where these emanate should be allotted quotas as per their population. Let them handle the certification. The entire list with names and addresses ought to be gathered by the designated authorities at Uttarakhand and distributed to each check post.
2. Since the Kanwadias do use the modern inventions of transport to reach Haridwar, wearing shoes and chappals instead of bare feet, using a mobile phone and its peripherals; they should by law be made to use modern methods of safely carrying the holy water rather than the Bamboo ones. That being an awkward load becomes difficult to steer through traffic. They can use modified haversack carriers.
3. Those going towards Haridwar to bring holy water in their personal transport or in public ones should not be pampered with any preferential treatment. Only when they walk back with the holy water then need to be treated reverently.
4. All travelling in a group in their own or privately hired transport towards or away from Haridwar should not be permitted to decorate their vehicle with banners -flags or posters indicting that they are heading for the Kanwad Yatra. They will observe the traffic rules as applicable by law.
5. The Kanwads, when resting should not just plonk themselves on the carriageways of the roads but always use the berms (shoulders) of such roads/foot paths to put down their holy load safely away from any traffic.
6. They also should not be so touchy about somebody accidently brushing their holy load. Would they angrily handle an innocent stray animal the same way?
7. None of them should be permitted to mount or carry any means of sound enhancement on their transport least of all play them while traveling through human habitats, Urban or Rural. Their loud playing of such a device is not even tolerated by animals as was reported in print media about what happened at Lachhiwala on 19/20 July evening.
8. It is hoped that such steps would help make this annual ritual more respectable, tolerable and controllable.
9. The private organisations who desire to open charitable stalls or facilities for these devotees also should be licenced by each state on their routes.