Mumbai: Allow us to celebrate dahi handi or else, says BJP

Members of the Jarimari Govinda Pathak break the dahi handi while maintaining social distancing on Gokulashtami at Girgaon in 2020. Pic/Bipin Kokate

The government's decision to not allow next week's dahi handi (Krishna Janmashtami, Govinda festival) celebrations in view of the pandemic, has been opposed by some mandals and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Protesters have demanded that the celebrations be permitted in traditional manner with fully-vaccinated players, minimum crowds at fixed places, less pyramid height and without commercial frills and pomp.

On Monday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray told the coordination committee members of the dahi handi mandals in a virtual meeting, that instead of celebrating the festival, social and healthcare activities should be promoted by them ahead of a third wave. The CMO said in a statement that the mandals responded positively to Thackeray's appeal. It quoted the CM as saying, "The sentiments about festivals are the same everywhere, but today's first priority is healthcare. We have to understand that the restrictions imposed are for saving lives. Some people talk of protesting against the restriction. They should protest against the coronavirus instead."

'No restriction'

BJP leaders Ashish Shelar and Ram Kadam criticised the decision and threatened to hold protests if the rules were not revised. Shelar asked for allowing fully vaccinated govindas to erect pyramids of restricted height only at the venues where the Krishna Janmashtami ceremonies are held. He said most mandals wanted to celebrate the festival in a traditional manner instead of accepting a total ban order. "The government should ensure that the tradition of festivals doesn't cease."

Also read: Maharashtra: Dahi Handi celebrations to be 'tier-less' this year too

Kadam, who is one of the biggest dahi handi organisers in the city, said the restrictions on Hindu festivals will not be tolerated. ‘Why are restrictions only for the Hindus? We will celebrate the dahi handi festival even if they ban it," he said.

Vijay Kadam of Jai Jawan Mandal said that the restrictions should be for all. "Let us celebrate it in a restricted manner and have the rules revised for us. Why only us when restrictions don't apply or are violated by political events like yatras and morchas, government ceremonies like inaugurations?" he asked.

In the first year of the pandemic, big dahi handi events,, promoted commercially by the leaders cutting across the party lines, were mostly cancelled. Only symbolic events were held. However, this year the shut-down of religious places even as other places were unlocked, has evoked strong reactions from the opposition.

Expert opinion

Experts tried to convince the mandals at the CM's meeting. Chief of the Maharashtra COVID Task Force, Dr Sanjay Oak said the dahi handi festival involved close body contact and the players get showered with water every now and then, rendering masks useless. "One infected person can infect the entire team immediately because of the new Delta variant. So instead of risking lives, the festival spirit should be celebrated by holding donation camps, distributing medicines and preventive equipment," he said. Task force members Dr Shashank Joshi, Dr Rahul Pandit, chief of the paediatric task force Dr Suhas Prabhu and Dr Ajit Desai expressed their views that highlighted the risks.

BMC chief Iqbal Singh Chahal informed the meeting about the risks involved in dahi handi festivals. He talked about National Institute for Disaster Management and NITI Aayog's caution against a third wave, and added that the govindas are mostly from the under-35 age group which hasn't been vaccinated fully. City police chief Hemant Nagrale supported Chahal's views.