Haridwar: Hoardings, posters barring entry of non-Hindus installed at Har-ki-Pauri amid govt deliberations

The posters and banners were installed at Har-ki-Pauri by the Ganga Sabha. (Courtesy: PTI photo)

• Banners in Haridwar's Har-ki-Pauri restrict entry of non-Hindus at Ganga ghats
• Ganga Sabha cites 1916 bylaws for restrictions, sparking political debate
• Opposition calls move divisive and unconstitutional

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Several banners and hoardings stating 'non-Hindus are not permitted' have been installed in Har-ki-Pauri area of304opkl=, Uttarakhand's Haridwar. The signboards and flex banners came up on Friday amid calls for a ban on the entry of non-Hindus around the Ganga ghat.

The hoardings have been installed by the Ganga Sabha, the apex managing body of the sanctum sanctorum of Brahmakund Har-ki-Pauri and adjoining Ganga ghats.

Citing Haridwar municipal bylaws enacted in 1916, Nitin Gautam, the sabha president said that the provisions reportedly restricted the entry, residence and commercial activities of non-Hindus in the Har-ki-Pauri area. "Given the increasing influx of visitors and instances of non-Hindus entering this holy site, we are merely adhering to these provisions," he told Hindustan Times.

He said that the regulation, framed under the guidance of Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, should be expanded to cover the remaining ghats as well.

The development came a day after Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the Uttarakhand government is considering the issue, noting that Haridwar carries profound historical, religious, and cultural importance.

"We are in ongoing talks with all stakeholders there, including members of the Ganga Sabha, representatives of religious organisations, and revered saints. We have indicated that we are carefully reviewing all existing laws and regulations related to Haridwar and other pilgrimage sites, based on which the government will proceed," he said.

Ganga Sabha secretary Ujjwal Pundit, who oversaw the installation of hoardings and flex boards around Har ki Pauri, said the restrictions were necessary to 'preserve the sanctity' of the Ganga ghats.

According to the HT report, the Ganga Sabha has also urged the Uttarakhand government to not deploy non-Hindu government officials or police personnel for duty at Har-ki-Pauri.

Opposing the move, former Haridwar municipal committee chairperson and Sonipat MP Satpal Brahmachari said, "The Ganga ghats and the Kumbh Mela area extend up to Roorkee, where many non-Hindus reside. In today's multi-religious society, how feasible is such a blanket prohibition? Instead of raising divisive issues, the focus should be on better arrangements for the upcoming Ardh Kumbh".

Samajwadi Party leader ST Hasan said such discussions and moves should be prohibited as they are spreading hatred. "The country is for everyone, not only for one particular community. It is not anyone’s private property… According to the Constitution, any Indian can travel from one place to another in the country. Such discussions should be stopped and prohibited. They are spreading hatred in our society," Indian Express said quoting him.

However, defending the move, Uttarakhand BJP chief Mahendra Bhatt said that 'Sanatan sentiments must be respected' when it comes to religious traditions.

"The rule regarding non-Hindu entry in certain sacred areas of Haridwar is not new; it has been implicitly followed for decades. Everyone should respect and abide by the traditions set by religious leaders and the local priestly community," he said.

Bhatt also hit out at the opposition saying the objections raised by them are motivated by appeasement politics.

"No non-Hindu would come to bathe in the Ganga at Haridwar with the intention of attaining religious virtue. So why should anyone object to following existing traditions?" he added.