Varanasi Ghats | SabrangIndia

UP: Long lines for funerals return in Varanasi ghats

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 13:34:41 +0000

Image Courtesy:amarujala.com

The horror of excess deaths returns in the Ghats of Varanasi. As the heat in cremation grounds rises, the plague of long lines, insufficient facilities and simultaneously burning pyres return, reports Amar Ujala.

On June 15, 2022, Amar Ujala, a widely circulating Hindi newspaper reported, in an exclusive report on how the Mokshanagari Kashi crematorium once again reports long lines of families waiting to carry out the last rites of their kin. After the surge of Covid-19 cases last year, the area reported around 40-50 deaths at the crematoriums. Since last week, these numbers have increased to 120 deaths.

People wait for four hours to bid their deceased goodbye while the officials call more people to carry out cremations. Amar Ujala reported that due to lack of platform(s) and construction work at Manikarnika shrine, space for cremation is falling short. Since last week, it has reported 100 to 120 deaths. From June 13 till June 14 night, over 135 cremations took place at Manikarnika Ghat.

One person told the newspaper that he travelled from Patna with his grandfather’s body. Further, as in times of Covid-19 surge, the demand for wood has also doubled. As many as 12 bodies are burnt simultaneously on lower platforms and 10 bodies are burnt on upper platforms.

Overall, people from districts of Purvanchal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh all visit the Kashi region for last rites. Part of this reason may be because locals are reluctant to allow the bodies to be buried in villages, on private land. In Ishwarpur village, Amar Ujala said that there was a dispute on Tuesday morning over the burial of an old man on private land. The SDM Pindra and the police pacified villagers by assuring them the son would bury the body away from the public. Similarly, a retired doctor from the Health department CMS also faced flak from villagers for trying to bury his 85-year-old deceased mother Surjakali in private land. While officials again had to intervene to settle the matter, the shocking fact is that these deaths are – once again – not reflected in government figures.

On June 9, India reported 7,240 active Covid-19 cases. This was the first time since March 1 that the daily number of active cases exceeded the 7,000 mark. In the month of June, over 39,400 fresh cases have been reported in India. For this reason, Maharashtra, Kerala, Delhi and Karnataka were put on high alert.

Accordingly, the four regions have reported around 1,000 (Delhi) to over 4,000 (Maharashtra) infections with Karnataka reporting around 800 deaths. Maharashtra reported three deaths, Kerala reported eight deaths, Karnataka reported one death and Delhi reported two deaths by June 17. However Uttar Pradesh, despite reporting 20,83,072 cases with an increase of 413 cases has not reported any deaths.

On Friday, Indian Express also reported how Covid-19 cases in Uttar Pradesh increased by 413 cases on Thursday over the last 24 hours with Varanasi reporting 14 new cases. Still, there were no reports over the number of deaths.

Earlier in 2021, Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) published a report on the death figures in Varanasi. The survey in parts of Varanasi, Ghazipur, Jaunpur and Chandauli showed how the Ghats were inundated with bodies and lack of supplies during the second wave of Covid-19. Families failed to report deaths in rural areas and many people were unaware of the precautions necessary against Covid-19. Data suggested that areas in eastern UP especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi had 60 percent excess deaths during the pandemic relative to 2019.

As per CJP’s report, surveyed areas had 55-60 percent more deaths from January 2020 to August 2021 than expected in this period. Subsequent coverage of the region also showed how people were struggling to access hospitals even for regular virals or infections.

The state government was accused of manipulating Covid-related data to create the impression that the healthcare system was effective. Now, this report by Amar Ujala comes after the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) estimates of a whopping 47.4 lakh excess deaths in India. This number is nearly 10 times the country’s official Covid-19 reported deaths between 2020 and 2021.

With cases once again on the rise, people are being once again urged – at least by the four state governments on alert – to follow Covid-protocols and exercise social distancing.

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Citizens reclaim Varanasi ghats: VHP, Bajrang Dal’s communal posters fail

Mon, 10 Jan 2022 04:21:24 +0000

On Sunday, Varanasi Police registered an FIR against five people for allegedly putting up posters warning non-Hindus to keep away from those public places. However no arrests have been made so far. The posters had been seen for the first time on Thursday January 6. Those booked for putting up the posters are from the “Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)” and “Bajrang Dal Kashi”.

The action comes after much public pressure and peaceful protests and awarenes generated by SabrangIndia, Citizens of Justice and Peace volunteers; civil rights activists and scores of citizens of Varanasi had risen together and spoke out against the illegal communal discrimination and hate that the posters had spread.

In the wake of hate speech, exclusive and divisive ideologies being spread by the fundamentalist forces, many citizens of Varanasi recommitted themselves to secularism and upheld the composite culture of the city. A series of public programs under the banner ‘paigam-e-muhabbat’ (message of love), showcased songs on themes of fraternal love, unity in diversity, and a play on communal harmony was also performed by the artistes of Prerna Kala Manch, the theatre troupe of Vishwa Jyoti Communications, and message of unity in diversity was powerfully presented. There was a mushaira or poetry session, the campaign had actually begun on January 4 at Bhimnagar, and was initiated by Father Anand IMS and Father Praveen Joshi IMS, of Vishwa Jyoti Communications.

However on January 8 ‘paigam-e-muhabat’ was held in Assi Ghat on the bank of Varanasi where many communally divisive posters were pasted by Hindutva groups “warning non Hindus against visiting the river bank” from Assi to Panchganga Ghat. They failed in their vile mission and ‘paigam-e-muhabbat’ was attended by a large number of locals, pilgrims, tourists and university students. A varied group of residents of Varanasi and visitors gathered to exchange greetings, listen to poetry, songs and celebrate fellowship at its famed ghats. While should have passed for just a nice gathering of friends on any other day at the ghats always swarming with people, it was a major expression of secular solidarity in the face of communal mobs. Not everyone in this group was a Hindu. Hence demonstrating that the hateful, communal posters that had been pasted on many ghats (river banks) in the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday had failed to incite hate in the ancient city.

The posters, had, ‘warned’ non-Hindus to stay away from the public ghats of Varanasi including Asi Ghat, and announced that entry of non-Hindus to the ghats was prohibited. The posters bore the names of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal Kashi and read, “Ganga, ghats of Varanasi and temples are symbols of Sanatan Dharma, Indian culture and centre of our faith. Those who follow Sanatan Dharma are welcome at the ghats. These are not picnic spots.”

However, the river Ganga belongs to all those who cherish its cultural and natural heritage, and the gathering on Saturday was proof of that. According to news reports, those who pasted these discriminatory posters on have have also been ‘punished’ by the organization they belong to. They have been asked to leave the organisations, reported Amar Ujala, adding that the matter was discussed in an online meeting of the organisations’ officials till late on Friday night as the voices of protest rose across the city. However, it is not known if any police or administrative action has been taken against the men who put up these anti-Constitutional posters at all.

The posters bearing the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal’s office-bearers’ names were removed from on Ganga Ghat after the civil society uproar, and by Friday the men who did this were ‘removed from their posts’. However this ‘removal’ too came after the ‘message of hate’ had been telecast.

Uttar Pradesh will go to polls in seven phases for the mammoth 403-seat Assembly from February 10 to March 7. According to opposition leaders of the state such posters were yet another attempt to polarise the voters with fuelling a ‘Hindu-Muslim divide’. However VHP’s national spokesperson Vinod Bansal was quick to distance the organisation from this attempt and told the media that an enquiry will be done, adding that the identity of the two persons seen in the videos that emerged online was yet to be ascertained.

Initially this claim was echoed by Additional Superintendent of Police, Kashi (Varanasi), Rajesh Kumar Pandey who told the media that the police was “trying to identify people who put up those posters. Action will be taken against them as per decisions taken. All posters have been removed.” The probe is reportedly being conducted by the Bhelupur police station. However police told the media, “So far, no written complaint has been made with the police. However, the police took note of the episode after some local groups highlighted it.”

According to reports, videos of the men, seen claiming to belong to the VHP and the Bajrang Dal, had emerged online and they claimed to have put up the posters. One was Rajan Gupta, who claimed to be “VHP’s Kashi mahanagar mantri”, and purportedly said that the posters were a “message for people not following Sanatan Dharma”. Then there was Nikhil Tripathi ‘Rudra’, who claimed to be “Kashi’s Bajrang Dal sanyojak”, and purportedly said that the poster was a “warning to people — River Ganga is our mother, it is not a picnic spot. They have been warned to stay away from here. If they don’t remain at a distance, Bajrang Dal will make sure they are (sent) away from here. Non-Hindus violate the purity of the ghats. That is why this warning has been issued to them.”

By Sunday, police registered a case against the two at Bhelupur station, reported Indian Express. Bhelupur Station House Officer (SHO) Rama Kant Dubey told the media that Gupta and Tripathi had been served notices and ordered to deposit personal bonds of Rs 5 lakh each to ensure peace is maintained.

Why are Hindutva groups over active in UP?

In December 2021, the area MP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Kashi Vishwanath corridore in Varanasi and put the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Hindutva agenda front and centre. He took a dip in the Ganga, performed an elaborate puja, the event was telecast live. The Prime Minister had also said, “Terrorists have invaded this city, tried to destroy it! History has borne witness to Aurangzeb’s atrocities and terror. He tried to change civilization with the might of his sword, he tried to crush culture using extreme methods. But the soil of this land is different from that of others. If Aurangzeb comes here, Shivaji stands up to him!”

The PM has so far remained silent on communal posters put up in his own constituency, just as he is silent on communal statements by his party colleagues, as well as right-wing groups. Many BJP politicians, have been echoing anti-Muslim and anti-Christian hate speeches like the ones made at Haridwar recently. Even though they have made it to global headlines for their extreme views, however as they are yet to be censured by the BJP’s senior leadership, it may be seen as an ‘encouragement’ and thus inspire many more.

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‘No Entry’ for non-Hindus at Varanasi Ghats?

Fri, 07 Jan 2022 05:23:13 +0000

Scores of communal posters were pasted on many ghats (river banks) in Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday. The posters, in effect, ‘warned’ non-Hindus to stay away from the public ghats of Varanasi including Asi Ghat, and announced that entry of non-Hindus to the ghats is prohibited. The posters carry the names of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal Kashi.

The posters read, “Ganga, ghats of Varanasi and temples are symbols of Sanatan Dharma, Indian culture and centre of our faith. Those who follow Sanatan Dharma are welcome at the ghats. These are not picnic spots.”

In a display of the ‘protection’ these Hindutva groups enjoy in Uttar Pradesh, a man identified as Nikhil Tripathi Rudra, the Varanasi convener of Bajrang Dal told the media that the ‘instructions’ on these communal posters were “not a request. This is a warning.” He proudly accepted that the posters had been put up by his group and added that Bajrang Dal workers will “stage a demonstration if people don’t stop using the ghats as a picnic spot.” He further said, “Now Hindus will have to show strength, to come forward to protect religion and society,” adding that “not everything can be left to the government. Whoever is seen entering the temple or Ganga Ghat, will be caught from the spot and handed over to the police,” reported Dainik Bhaskar.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Rajan Gupta told the media that “the temple and Ganga Ghat are the places of faith and belief of the people of Sanatan Dharma.” He asked, “What work do people of other religions have here?”

Meanwhile, according to a report in Hindustan Times, a Vishwa Hindu Parishad member Rakesh Ranjan Tripathi “expressed no knowledge of the posters and said that everyone was free to visit the ghats.” According to the news report, after the news of these communal posters spread, the local “police removed them from various ghats.”

No separation of Religion and State, empowers Hindutva mobs

These communal posters now making news, need to be seen in that context, as local Hindutva groups have become more active since 2021, in the state, and are at their peak now that dates of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections 2022 are to be announced soon.

In December 2021, the area MP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Kashi Vishwanath corridore in Varanasi and put the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Hindutva agenda front and centre. He took a dip in the Ganga, performed an elaborate puja, and the entire event was telecast live. Prime Minister had also said, “Terrorists have invaded this city, tried to destroy it! History has borne witness to Aurangzeb’s atrocities and terror. He tried to change civilization with the might of his sword, he tried to crush culture using extreme methods. But the soil of this land is different from that of others. If Aurangzeb comes here, Shivaji stands up to him!”

The PM has so far remained silent on communal speeches by his own party men, as well as heads of right-wing groups. Such instances of hate speech are on the rise as many state elections loom on the horizon. Many BJP politicians, have been echoing anti-Muslim and anti-Christian hate speeches like the ones made at Haridwar recently. Even though they have made the headlines for their extreme views, however as they are yet to be censured by the BJP’s senior leadership, it may be seen as an ‘encouragement’ and thus inspire many more.

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