The two Yamunas: of the rulers and the devotees
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Those in power who believe that shining in the glitter of campaign is more desirable than excelling through genuine achievements of governance are the ones donning the cloak of folly. In this post-truth era, political victory is no longer achieved by ruling through public welfare and leading the nation toward progress, but by staging grand shows before the people and making self-projection there. At both the national and state levels, such masqueraders are seen everywhere, leaping and prancing for attention. When elections draw near, this performance only grows more intense. The penalties that the nation and its people ultimately have to bear for such theatrics matter little to those in power. It is precisely such a peculiar controversy that has now erupted in Delhi. The controversy concerns the ritual bathing in the Yamuna River during the Chhath festival, celebrated in regions such as Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh, and Nepal. As part of the Chhath celebrations held from October 25 to 28, an artificial stretch of "pure Yamuna" was prepared at the Vasudev Ghat on the riverbank for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take his ritual dip, and this is what has triggered the dispute. To protect the Prime Minister from entering the polluted waters of the Yamuna, a large quantity of clean water was pumped from the Wazirabad water treatment plant, the same source that supplies drinking water to Delhi residents, to build a special bathing ghat. In protest, the opposition Aam Aadmi Party, led by Arvind Kejriwal, has raised objections to this act.
Turning religious symbols, rituals, and festivals into tools of campaign is the essence of the BJP’s Hindutva politics. It is no coincidence that Modi and his party have plunged into celebrating Chhath, a festival of deep spiritual importance to the people of Purvanchal. There is also a clear strategy behind it, to attract the votes of Hindu devotees in the upcoming elections in Bihar next month. But when crores of rupees from the public treasury are spent to build a special bathing ghat for the Prime Minister’s political dip, what message does the government send to the devotees immersing themselves in other parts of the Yamuna? Is it that the entire Yamuna is polluted, and it is acceptable for those devotees to bathe in that filth and contract diseases? There are also allegations that water meant for irrigation in Uttar Pradesh’s farmlands was diverted for the construction of this artificial bathing ghat. It is impossible not to call it utterly ridiculous that such grand extravaganza are being arranged for a Prime Minister who constantly makes lofty slogans about public welfare and service. The Ganga and Yamuna rivers are regarded with reverence by Hindu devotees in India and are used for their religious rituals. The central government, which gives high regard to every religious sentiments and devotional practices, also grants them official recognition and status. A large amount is allocated in the national budget for the cleaning and development of these two sacred rivers. Yet, even after having entered the third consecutive term in power, the BJP-led central government has failed to save these two holy rivers from pollution. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee recently released a report stating that bathing in the Yamuna could cause deadly diseases.There is a budget allocation of around three thousand crore rupees and a supervisory committee is put in charge headed by the Secretary of the Ministry of Jal Shakti. Despite all this, the central government itself admits that the Yamuna’s water remains polluted and poses a risk of infectious diseases. It is amid this miserable condition that an artificial “pure Yamuna” has been created for the Prime Minister. Saurabh Bharadwaj, former Delhi Minister for Water and Health and spokesperson of the Aam Aadmi Party, sharply criticized the Prime Minister’s actions, calling them mere exercises for a photoshoot aimed at exploiting the sentiments of devotees. The Prime Minister has always been extremely careful about his own health. "Have you ever heard that the Prime Minister got typhoid from drinking contaminated water?", he asked. It is with that same caution that a special bathing ghat has been built for Modi using only filtered water. Meanwhile, the poor people of Purvanchal are being left to immerse themselves in the Yamuna, filled with sewage and filth, and are being exposed to diseases — this is the accusation made by Saurabh Bharadwaj.
A defining trait that the Sangh Parivar proudly claims for itself is giving special preference to the Hindu community, distinguishing themselves from others based on religious belief, lineage, and caste thinking. However, in practice, what they follow is a form of pseudo-Hindutva that treats faith and devotion merely as tools to further their political interests, without offering any genuine respect beyond that. One of the clearest examples of this deceitful approach is their handling of the so-called sacred rivers. Despite announcing projects worth crores, the Ganga, the Yamuna, and other holy rivers have still not been purified from pollution. Yet, while pushing the common devotees into the filth of the Yamuna — tainted by the muck of mismanagement and corruption — the rulers prepare a clean stretch of water for themselves to bathe in. Even if certain pliant media outlets compete to praise such hypocrisy, the people are watching and are fully aware of everything. It would be wise for those in power and their supporters to take heed of that.