The most important festival for the Purvanchalis, Chhath Puja, was celebrated throughout the country from October 25-28. I have been following Chhath Puja celebrations for the last decade or so. In my opinion, this year’s Chhath Puja arrangements made by the government were the best, and all the devotees had an exceptional experience. The organisation of Chhath Puja requires special preparations, and thus the role of the government becomes all the more important. Chhath Puja is mostly celebrated in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern UP. Since a large migrant Bihari migrant population is settled in various states, the respective state government also pitches in to facilitate the celebrations.
The biggest challenge, obviously, is the smooth movement of more than 1 crore migrant population who desire to celebrate Chhath Puja in their home state, particularly in the state of Bihar. Since most people travel by train, Indian Railways made special arrangements to run more than 12,000 special trains. The states like UP, Delhi and Haryana even provided special buses for the movement of people from their state to Bihar. BJP-ruled states went out of their way to coordinate the move of people working in their state to Bihar and Jharkhand. Even Maharashtra made special arrangements for the move of the people to Bihar and Jharkhand.
Contrast this with opposition-ruled states like Punjab, Karnataka, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. None of these states made any special arrangements for the migrant population. But the NDA ruled, and the Andhra Pradesh government went out of its way to facilitate the move of the people residing or working in their state. This sort of indifference based on political ideology is sad but true. The opposition ruled states also do not make any special arrangements within their state for the devotees to pray. Chhath Puja requires a water body or pond to offer prayers, and sadly, such basic arrangements were also not done in the opposition-ruled states.
I happened to witness Chhath Puja celebrations in the state of Madhya Pradesh this year, which has a considerable migrant population from Bihar. The preparations to make arrangements at the ghats and nominated ponds started almost two weeks in advance. The district and nagar nigam officials inspected the arrangements being made. The political leadership of the BJP was also proactive. The local print, electronic and social media were also monitoring the preparations. During Chhath Puja proper, I witnessed effective traffic control and volunteers controlling the movement of people at the ghats. In the end, there was a happy feeling and a sense of satisfaction amongst the devotees.
Now, this type of commitment towards its people cannot be found in an opposition-ruled state like West Bengal. Many such governments are so concerned with the minority votes that any action which is pro majority community is either not done or done reluctantly. In most of the opposition-ruled states, the people and some local organisations are left to fend for themselves. Surprisingly, the local media in such opposition states is also not able to raise the basic concerns of the migrant population. This situation and such an attitude must change for good.
A good government must meet the aspirations of all its citizens, including the majority community. It cannot happen that appeasement is done only for the minority communities. One example of such good governance was seen in Delhi, where the BJP government went full steam to make Chhath Puja celebrations a success. The Delhi government went about the business of cleaning the Yamuna in a methodical way. The Delhi government also made 16 special ghats for the convenience of the devotees. Without any doubt, Delhi people witnessed the most satisfying Chhath Puja festivities in the last decade. Similar commitment was also witnessed in the NDA ruled Bihar, where impeccable arrangements for Chhath Puja were made.
Chhath Puja is also aligned to “Panch Parivartan” enunciated by RSS for social transformation. The festival of Chhath represents Social Harmony and Family Values. Chhath Puja is observed by mothers and wives, which is essential for family values in India. Chhath Puja is also dedicated to the Environment, with a focus on the Sun God and a clean environment.
The festival reflects pride in one’s own cultural and religious identity. More importantly, the youth get to understand the rich Indian culture and traditions. Fifthly, both the citizens and the government bond together to uphold the constitutional duties and foster a sense of social responsibility.
From the conduct of the most successful Maha Kumbh in January-February this year, followed by the Kanwar Yatra and now Chhath Puja, with a host of other cultural events in between, the governance model of PM Modi at the Centre and in all the BJP/NDA-ruled states reflects a serious commitment to good governance. The people of this country have a right to celebrate the major festivals where their government makes the necessary arrangements. The government has also shown commitment to making arrangements for their travel and movement. The people of India should support such governments which respect their sentiments and are committed to their welfare & well-being all the time. Jai Bharat!
