The battle for Haridwar Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 polls is witnessing politics, not over recent electoral issues like the Uniform Civil Code or Ram Mandir, but over a 2016 order that was issued by then chief minister Harish Rawat. Much water seems to have flown in the Ganges between 2016, when Congress chief minister Harish Rawat issued a government order calling the banks on which Har-ki-Pauri is situated as ‘canal’, and 2024, when his son Virendra Rawat made his electoral debut on Congress ticket from Haridwar.
But, in the Lok Sabha constituency that is synonymous with River Ganga, where it is worshipped as ‘mother’, his father’s 2016 order seems to be Rawat junior’s biggest roadblock in convincing people to vote for him. The BJP has fielded another Rawat — former Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat – from Haridwar this Lok Sabha election.
“WE WON’T FORGIVE THE RAWATS”
Standing on the banks of Ram Ghat, Ujwal Pandit, who is the Secretary of ‘Shri Ganga Sabha’, is very clear about his views, “The father of the Congress candidate announced Ganga to be “escape channel” which is suggestive of ‘nala’. But the BJP candidate tore apart that order as Chief Minister back then. Congress not only refused to acknowledge Lord Ram, they also refused to acknowledge the existence of Ganga. They are anti-Ganga, anti-Sanatan.”
A member of Haridwar’s thriving business community, who prefers to be identified as just Arora, holds a similar view, “Can you imagine that a Chief Minister saying that Har-ki-Pauri is situated not on the banks of Ganges but on ‘Ganga Canal’ where lakhs of devotees take holy dips on a regular basis?” He alleged that this decision of Harish Rawat was also guided by business interests in mind that would help his government circumvent green laws.
“Harish Rawat came to power with the blessings of pandits. But he disrespected them with his shallow order in 2016. Those who cannot respect Pandits, people of Haridwar — they are not welcome,” said an 80-year-old who is popularly known as Pandit Ji.
An octogenarian said that while healthcare and higher education are two areas the BJP still needs to work on in Haridwar, when they will go to vote, the issue of Ganga will be on top of their mind. “You see, Ganga is more than a river here,” he reasoned.
WHAT’S THE FUSS ABOUT?
The government of Harish Rawat – father of the Haridwar Congress candidate – ordered on December 14, 2016, that the stretch at Har-Ki-Pauri till Mayapur dam is on the ‘Ganga canal’. The order was meant to circumvent the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directive that prohibited “any type of construction” within 200 metres from the Ganga riverbed.
The implementation of the NGT order would have meant many hotels — big and small — along with eateries would have to shut shop. Harish Rawat yielded to the Hoteliers and construction lobby.
However, it didn’t go unopposed when Harish Rawat had to face successive protests as Chief Minister for hurting religious sentiments. It is widely believed that nectar fell here, and since then the Kumbh fair has been held once every 12 years. Every year, lakhs of Kanwars walk on their feet to collect holy water from this very stretch and carry it back home, which he dubbed an “escape route” rationalizing, that it is not the Ganga river.
THE POLITICS
With the Lok Sabha battle on in full swing, on one hand is the son of the former CM under whose reign the controversial government order was issued, while, on the other hand, is a former CM who had undone it.
“There was palpable anger due to the government order. But I (as Chief Minister) corrected it. I ensured it was undone. Today, that stretch is called Ganga itself,” said BJP candidate and former CM Trivendra Singh Rawat while speaking to News18. He added the that society today is much more aware of nation and nationalism and that “truth can no longer be hidden”.
No wonder then that the BJP has made Ganga, Hindutva, and Sanatan its trinity of campaign on this Lok Sabha seat where BJP National President JP Nadda met thousands of saints from influential sects like ‘Nirmohi Akhara’ to seek their blessings. He also offered Havan. Accompanying Nadda on the Haridwar tour was BJP’s National General Secretary Dushyant Gautam. When asked about the politics over Ganga, pat came the reply, “Look the Congress of 2024 is not the one that it used to be. At least till not so long ago, they used to talk about minorities having the first claim to resources. Now they have resorted to insulting symbols of Hinduism. They have crossed all limits of appeasement politics.”
While Nadda didn’t rake up the issue, he started by offering prayers at Maya Devi Temple near Har-Ki-Pauri — the reigning deity of Haridwar, originally referred to as Mayapuri.
With elections around the corner and Rawat Junior in the poll fray against the man, who, as Chief Minister, had undone his father’s economically sound but politically suicidal move, this has become an overwhelming electoral issue in the entire Lok Sabha constituency — bigger than Uttarakhand’s Uniform Civil Code and even Ram Mandir.
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