Ahead of Chhat puja on Wednesday, several states have issued guidelines and made provisions for the festival. The four-day Chhath Puja, which began on Monday, will conclude on November 11 with the devotees offering ‘Arghya’ to the rising sun and breaking their fast.
In Delhi, the state government has made provisions for 800 ghats for people to celebrate Chhath Puja. However, the ruling AAP and the BJP leaders have been involved in a war of words over the festival for the last several days.
Point of Contestation
The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has prohibited Chhath Puja on the banks of the Yamuna this year. It allowed the celebrations at “designated sites”, barring the banks of the Yamuna. It directed administrative and police officials to ensure strict compliance with all its Covid-related orders. While the L-G is the chairman of the DDMA, Delhi chief minister is its vice-chairman.
Opposition BJP in Delhi has been protesting against the Aam Aadmi Party government over the ban and has blamed it for the “poisonous” water and air in the city. BJP MP Parvesh Verma on Monday performed rituals and launched preparations for Chhath Puja at the Yamuna Ghat near the ITO despite a ban by the DDMA.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that the government has prepared 800 ghats for people to celebrate Chhath Puja and appealed to people to follow all Covid protocols. The Delhi government also declared a public holiday on November 10 on account of Puja. Meanwhile, AAP alleges the BJP of playing politics over the festival.
Why Parties are locking horns?
The festival is celebrated mainly by ‘Purvanchalis’ in Delhi, who are natives of eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and settled in the national capital. The population of the Purvanchalis is a crucial number and dominates around 33.5 per cent of the 14 million population in the capital.
In electoral terms, in the northeast, northwest and eastern part of Delhi, 25 of the 70 assembly seats are dominated by Purvanchali voters. Some constituencies in Delhi, including Burari, Seemapuri, Adarsh Nagar, Rithala, Ambedkar Nagar, Laxmi Nagar and Shahdara, are dominated by Purvanchali voters.
The ‘Purvanchalis’ faces are present across party lines with each party trying to eye the greater share.
Chhath rules in Other States
Uttar Pradesh has also announced a public holiday on ‘Chhath’ on November 10. According to a report in Indian TV, the chief minister has directed the authorities to ensure that people do not face any problem in getting permission to organize fairs since it was an “integral part of our culture and tradition”. The Uttarakhand government has also declared a public holiday on the occasion of the Chhath festival on Wednesday.
In Maharashtra, the government has prohibited mass gatherings at seafronts in Mumbai in a bid to prevent the anticipated third wave of COVID-19 pandemic, the city civic body said. As per the revised guidelines, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will instead create artificial ponds in various regions of the city and bear the expenses for this work. The BMC said only citizens who have completed two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine can participate in the mass Puja.
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