Now Reading: Yashwant Sinha dismayed by Kanwar Yatra’s politicisation, CM joins
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Yashwant Sinha dismayed by Kanwar Yatra’s politicisation, CM joins
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav joined a massive Kanwar Yatra in Jabalpur on Monday, showering flowers on devotees and carrying Narmada water. The procession, part of the holy month of Shravan, saw thousands…
The Story in Brief
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav joined a massive Kanwar Yatra in Jabalpur on Monday, showering flowers on devotees and carrying Narmada water. The procession, part of the holy month of Shravan, saw thousands of Kanwariyas dancing to drums. Yadav called it the largest such yatra he had seen and said his government is improving facilities and promoting religious tourism.
In contrast, former Union minister Yashwant Sinha told The Federal he is 'completely dismayed' by the yatra's transformation. Recalling his own five journeys from Sultanganj to Deoghar in the late 1970s, Sinha described a quiet, disciplined walk marked by equality and spiritual purpose. He argues the pilgrimage has become aggressive and politicised in parts of North India, far from its earlier ethos.
The Indian Opinion
Two exaggerated narratives dominate this story: one paints the past yatra as purely spiritual, ignoring that even then it drew officials like Sinha; the other condemns any political participation as vulgar. Neither captures the complexity. The real test is whether the state's infrastructure push, seen in Jabalpur, can preserve the pilgrimage's essence while accommodating lakhs. Will the promised facilities bring discipline or just more commercialisation?
Sources (2): thefederal.com, assamtribune.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
