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The Ganga Sabha said on Wednesday it wants a blanket ban on the entry of all non-Hindus, including media personnel and those from government departments and institutions, at all Ganga ghats under the Haridwar Kumbh area.

The Ganga Sabha manages Har Ki Pauri and the surrounding Ganga ghats.

President of the Ganga Sabha, Nitin Gautam, appealed to the District Information Officer of Haridwar as well as officials of other departments and institutions to ensure that no non-Hindu person from their department enters Har Ki Pauri.

“Whether it is a government department, an institution or a media person, the entry of all non-Hindus should be prohibited at these places in the Kumbh area,” Gautam said, adding that the “Sanatan tradition, the religious identity of Ganga Maa and the sanctity of Har Ki Pauri” are paramount.

Asking the administration to remain “fully vigilant to maintain the sanctity of the area”, Gautam said he has already discussed the matter with almost all senior government officials and appealed to them to ensure that no non-Hindu employee under their authority is deployed in this area.

He also urged media organisations not to assign non-Hindu journalists to the restricted area.

 

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Alluding to the Haridwar Municipal Corporation bylaws of 1916, Gautam said these too prohibit the entry of non-Hindus at Har Ki Pauri and the surrounding Ganga ghats, and the system should therefore be implemented under constitutional rights.

Demanding that boards prohibiting the entry of non-Hindus be installed at Har Ki Pauri and the surrounding ghats, Gautam said incidents of people trying to “spoil the atmosphere by entering the area in disguise” will not be tolerated, referring to an episode on Tuesday at Har Ki Pauri where two youths were seen roaming and making videos dressed in the attire of Arab sheikhs.

It may be noted that recently the Ganga Sabha and the community of saints have demanded that all Ganga ghats falling under the Kumbh Mela area, including Har Ki Pauri and the surrounding ghats, be declared restricted areas for non-Hindus, a demand which the Uttarakhand government is also seriously considering.