20 Jul 2021 Right to life must override religious sentiments: SC

Right to life must override religious sentiments: SC

Context:

1. The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA)  issued an order that no celebrations, processions and gatherings would be allowed during the upcoming Kanwar Yatra in the Capital.
2. Earlier, the state government of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh has also cancelled the Kanwar Yatra
3.  It was on the backdrop of Supreme Court judgement in which it said , “Health of the citizenry of India and the right to life are paramount. All other sentiments, albeit religious, are subservient to this basic fundamental right”

Kanwar Yatra

1. It is an annual pilgrimage of devotees of Shiva
2. The devotees visit Hindu pilgrimage places of Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Sultanganj in Bihar to fetch holy waters of Ganges River
3. Kanwar Yatra is named after the kanvar, a single pole (usually made of bamboo) with two roughly equal loads fastened or dangling from opposite ends.
4. The kanvar is carried by balancing the middle of the pole on one or both shoulders.

Concerns:

1. Risk to public health during massive religious gatherings in the midst of a pandemic
2. large gatherings posed a major risk, amidst fears and expectations of a third wave.
3. Right to life

Learnings:

1. The pandharpur yatra in Maharashtra in which every year lakhs of warkaris participate is performed by few warkaris carrying Padukas (footprints) in a vehicle on the same route as maintained by the warkaris
2. This practice can be one of the solution which can be applied to other such yatra giving priority to right to life over religious sentiments

Download Yojna IAS Daily Current Affairs of 20th July 2021