Char Dham Yatra Needs to Be Postponed or Cancelled; It Is More Important to Save The Lives of The People Observes Uttarakhand High Court.
(Judicial Quest News Network)
The Uttarakhand High Court on Wednesday observed that the present situation in the country due to the outbreak of COVID-19 does not allow us to hold any religious congregation or procession that might lead to re-invent the pandemic and create havoc for the common citizens.
The Bench of Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice Alok Kumar Verma asked the government to review its decision to commence the Char DhamYatra by the State Government.
This Court directs the State Government to review its decision to commence the Char Dham Yatra on 01.07.2021.
Perhaps the Char Dham Yatra needs to be postponed or cancelled, as already the Amarnath Yatra has been cancelled by the Jammu & Kashmir administration.
This Court is well-aware that the cancellation of the Yatra may cause financial difficulties for the residents of the Char Dham.
However, it is more important to save the lives of the people. Furthermore, the Government is free to announce “economic stimulus plans” for the benefits of the businessmen and the tourism industry which depends on the pilgrims visiting the Char Dham.
As far as the religious sentiments of the people are concerned, this Court is of the opinion that live streaming from the Char Dham shrines can be done for the benefit of the people of the country.
Such live streaming would permit the devotees to witness the deity, to pay reverence to the deity, and yet save the lives of the people. Hence, it is imperative that the decision of the State Government should be reviewed.
The Court further said that once these factors were pointed out by this Court to Mr. Om Prakash, the learned Chief Secretary, he has given an undertaking that the decision shall be reviewed by the Hon’ble Cabinet. He further submits that the decision of the Hon’ble Cabinet will be informed to this Court on 28.06.2021.
The Court has given following reasons
Firstly, the emergence of “Delta Plus variant” which has already started affecting the Madhya Pradesh and other Southern states, will soon spread to other parts of the country, including Uttarakhand.
Secondly, the statement given by the Director, All India Institute of Medical Science, New Delhi, that India will be hit by the third wave
of COVID-19 pandemic by August, 2021. Thirdly, in view of the COVID-
pandemic which still continues to play havoc, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has already decided to cancel the Amarnath Yatra scheduled for this year. Fourthly, a perusal of data available clearly indicates that Uttarakhand had permitted the Kumbh Mela between 01st April to 30th April. According to the media reports, 59% of deaths which occurred in Uttarakhand due to COVID-19 occurred in the month of May, 2021. Thus, there is a clear co-relation between the holding of
Kumbh Mela in April, 2021, and the consequent deaths which occurred in Uttarakhand in May, 2021. Furthermore, it is common knowledge that
in April and in May, 2021, the entire country was devastated by the second wave of COVID-19. The chaos and calamity need not be described in any detail. For, the impact of the second wave is wellknown. Fifthly, recently, on 20.06.2021, on the occasion of Ganga Dussehra, lakhs of people were permitted to gather at Har-ki-Pauri at Haridwar. According to the media reports, the SOP dealing with the precautions to be taken for COVID-19 was observed more in breach than in compliance. There was neither any social distancing maintained at Har-ki-Pauri, nor people had bothered to wear masks. The Civil Administration of Haridwar had permitted lakhs of people to gather at Har-ki-Pauri, without even caring about the consequence of such a large gathering of people during the present times. Sixthly, even yesterday on 22.06.2021, Neem Karoli Baba Temple (Kainchi Dham) was permitted to open the doors of its shrine to thousands of devotees, who poured into the temple. Even there, the Civil Administration could not ensure that masks were worn, or social distancing was maintained. Seventhly, according to the affidavit, filed by Dr. Ashish Chauhan, there is hardly any medical facility which is available at the Char Dham. Therefore, the possibility of a large congregation descending on the temples and
shrines of Char Dham cannot be ruled out. Already holding of Kumbh Mela, and in permitting a large congregation of lakhs of people on Ganga Dussehra at Har-ki-Pauri at Haridwar are clear cut proof of the failure of the Civil Administration, to administer the precautionary SOPs prescribed by the Central Government and the State Government. Once the devotees start gathering in large number, invariably the first victim is the SOP itself; the second victims are the people at large.
Eighthly, according to the affidavit filed by Dr. Ashish Chauhan, the Tourism Department is yet to prepare the SOP for opening the Char
Dham Yatra.
Ninthly, the State should also consider the feasibility of live streaming of the ceremonies of the Char Dham Shrines for the benefit of the people throughout the country. After all, the same technology and procedure is being adopted by various temples across the country. Such live streaming will give easy access to the devotees to have the Darshan of the deity, and would permit them to pay their obedience to the deity, while keeping the devotees safe from coronavirus. Lastly, and most importantly, the Country has already been warned that the third
wave of COVID-19 will hit our children from prenatal age group to eighteen years. If the children are lost or are being sacrificed at the altar of COVID-19, the loss will not only be of the parents, but also be of the nation at large.
[Read Judgement]
