Tag: Chhath puja

Chhath Puja: A Celebration of Nature and Subaltern Culture

Chhath Puja is considered to be one of the most eco-friendly Hindu festivals, as it involves rituals that are performed in natural settings, using natural materials and respecting the environment.

Chhath Puja is a Hindu festival that is dedicated to the worship of the sun god Surya and his sister Chhathi Maiya, who are believed to be the sources of life, energy and healing on earth. It is an ancient festival that has its roots in the past, when our forefathers used to perform rituals to thank the sun for sustaining life on earth. Chhath Puja is celebrated six days after Diwali, on the sixth day of the lunar month of Kartika (October–November) in the Hindu calendar Vikram Samvat. It is also called Surya Shashthi Vrat, with the word chhat coming from shasthi or the sixth day of the new moon.

Chhath Puja is a festival that celebrates the bond between humans and nature, and the power of faith and perseverance. The festival involves various rituals over four days, such as holy bathing, fasting, standing in water and offering prayers and water to the setting and rising sun. The devotees also prepare and distribute prasad, a religious food, made of natural ingredients such as wheat flour, jaggery, fruits and milk.

Chhath Puja is a festival that transcends caste, class and gender barriers, and is open to anyone who wants to express gratitude and devotion to the sun god and Chhathi Maiya. However, it is mainly observed by the Bahujan communities of Bihar, who have preserved and propagated this festival for generations. Chhath Puja is a festival that reflects the subaltern culture and identity of these communities.

On Nahay Khay, the first day, the devotees take a holy bath in a river or a pond and clean their houses. They also cook food without salt, onion or garlic and eat only one meal in the day.

On the second day, Kharna, the devotees observe a fast from sunrise to sunset. They break their fast in the evening after offering prayers to the sun and the moon. They eat kheer (rice pudding), puris (deep-fried bread) and fruits. They also prepare thekua, a sweet dish made of wheat flour and jaggery, which is the main prasad (offering) of the festival.

On the third day, Sandhya Arghya, the devotees observe a strict fast without water or food for 36 hours. They dress up in new or clean clothes and offer arghya (water) to the setting sun at a riverbank or a pond. They also light earthen lamps and sing folk songs in praise of the sun god and Chhathi Maiya.

On the fourth day, Usha Arghya, devotees offer arghya to the rising sun at the same place where they offered it to the setting sun. They also seek blessings from the sun god and Chhathi Maiya for the well-being and prosperity of their family and friends. They break their fast by eating the prasad and drinking the water that was used for the arghya. They also distribute the prasad to their relatives and neighbours.

Chhath Puja is considered to be one of the most eco-friendly Hindu festivals, as it involves rituals that are performed in natural settings, using natural materials and respecting the environment.

The devotees use bamboo baskets, earthen pots and clay lamps for the rituals, which are biodegradable and do not cause pollution. The devotees prepare and distribute prasad made of natural ingredients such as wheat flour, jaggery, fruits and milk, which are healthy and nutritious.

The devotees worship the sun god and Chhathi Maiya, who are the sources of life, energy and healing on earth. They thank them for sustaining and supporting life on earth and seek their protection and blessings.

The devotees perform the rituals on the banks of the rivers or other water bodies, which are considered to be sacred and purifying. They also clean the surroundings and avoid littering or polluting the water.

Chhath Puja is a festival that showcases the beauty and harmony of nature and subaltern culture. It is a festival that reminds us of our dependence and gratitude towards the sun, the earth and the water, and expresses solidarity towards the oppressed and the marginalised.

The festival is anti-purohit; it does not involve any idol worship, temple visit or chanting and puja through a priest. The devotees perform the rituals themselves, without any guidance or assistance from a priest.

However, some scholars have suggested that there may be some links between Chhath and Buddhism, as both religions share some common beliefs and practices. For example, both Chhath and Buddhism emphasise the importance of non-violence, compassion and detachment from worldly desires. Both Chhath and Buddhism also involve fasting, meditation and offering prayers to the sun.

Some scholars have also argued that Chhath may have been influenced by the Buddhist king Ashoka, who ruled over the region where Chhath originated. Ashoka was a patron of both Hinduism and Buddhism, and he promoted religious harmony and tolerance among his subjects. He also built many temples, stupas and pillars dedicated to the sun god, and encouraged people to worship the sun as a symbol of peace and prosperity.

The festival that has spread to different parts of India and the world due to migration and cultural exchange. However, this also poses a challenge to the authenticity and originality of the festival, as some people may try to insert religious legends or commercial interests into its history and significance. Chhath Puja is a festival that should be respected and celebrated for its ecological and egalitarian values.

The festival inspires us to live a simple and sustainable life, and to overcome the challenges and difficulties with courage and faith.

Dr Sandeep Yadav is a University Gold Medalist in PG. He has been teaching english as an Associate Professor in SLC(E) at the University of Delhi for the last 15 years. He has been a permanent faculty member at the Central University of Jharkhand for four years. He has published many books, including ओबीसी और भारत. Yadav is a social activist.

What Makes the Chhath Festival Inclusive

This time the Bihar government has banned the use of ‘DJ music’ at the festival, ostensibly to avoid situations of communal flare-ups similar to those seen in other festivals.

Patna: The Bihar government announced the restrictions on the use of a disk jockey on the eve of the four-day Chhath festival that began on November 17 in the state.

The Chhath festival symbolises the spirit of Bihar. The Biharis – wherever they are – observe it with utmost solemnity. Its hallmark is fervour, not the frenzy that has overtaken some religious events.

Hindutva bodies have, of late, been using music churned by DJs as an instrument to amplify songs which are often aimed at terrifying minorities. Chhath devotees usually do not use such music. Women devotees usually sing Chhath songs without microphones. The state home department’s notification on the restricted use of DJs is probably aimed at curbing possible designs of Hindutva groups and to prevent communal tussles.

As a precautionary measure, the government has also banned the use of swords, tridents and other traditional weapons in all festivals. Those using traditional weapons in a religious procession will be booked under the Arms Act, which might lead to stringent punishment. Only the law enforcing officials are allowed to use microphones to guide and monitor the processions.

Unlike other Hindu festivals which have Ram, Krishna, Laxmi, Sarswati, Durga and Kali as the presiding deities, the Chhath celebrates the bounty and munificence of nature. Women in knee- and waist-deep water offer arghya (pouring of milk) to the sinking sun in the evening and the rising sun, next morning. It is distinct from many other religious events in which only the rising sun is worshipped.

The offerings that are made on the occasion are seasonal agricultural products. For example, white radish, unripe pieces of turmeric and ginger, stems of sugarcane, custard apples, banana and several other varieties of fruits and vegetables grown by cultivators are used in it.

It’s believed to be the event to thank the sun god for lighting the life of mankind with his glow. But the sun god’s younger sister, Aditi, referred to as Chhathi Maiya gets primacy. Eschewing patriarchal preference for a son over the daughter, the devotees pray for a daughter from Chhathi Maiya.

Also read: The Wrath Yatras of Ram Navami

“Runuki-Jhunuki beti mangila ho Chhathi Maiya (O Mother Chhath! Bless me with a vivacious daughter with jingle bells)” – is the most popular folk song that the women sing to seek a daughter. The festival involves the entire family. While the male members carry the basket full of offerings over their head to the chhath ghat, the women walk side by side, singing prayer songs with all religiosity and devotion.

The festival begins with devotees observing cleanliness by bathing, wearing washed clothes and eating the vegetables, fries of bottle-gourd, rice and daal. Next evening, they observer kharna that involves eating rasiaw (rice cooked in jaggery) and roti and then undergoing a fast. The following evening they gather at the Chhath ghat – a river bank or the edge of a pond – for offerings to the sinking sun. And in the following morning, they make offerings to the rising sun. The four days of the festival involve rigour.

Another distinctive feature of the festival is the absence of the role of a Brahmin as a priest in it. People observe it as a family ritual. The folk songs associated with the festival are sung but no Vedic or Puranic mantras that require pronunciation in a certain manner and style are recited.

Bihar’s politicians are known to celebrate Chhath.

It is believed that the rate of crime goes drastically down in Bihar during the festival too, so rooted it is in the lives of Biharis.

Legend has it that Sita of Ramayana and Draupadi of Mahabharat too had observed Chhath. While Sita had observed it for the wellbeing of her spouse Ram, Draupadi had done it for the Pandava brothers who were in exile in the forest.

It is an all inclusive festival. Muslim barber women, known as the Hajjam, accompany devotees at the Chhath ghat. One can find the Muslim women observing Chhath in almost all the villages across Bihar. And, in fact, milk offered by the Muslim cowherds and dairy owners is preferred at the Chhath puja.

The practice of untouchability and difference is an anathema at these festivals.

Communal clashes, thus, are unheard of during the Chhath festival.

Nalin Verma is a senior journalist, author, media educator and independent researcher in folklore.

Despite Prohibition, BJP MP Parvesh Verma Invites People To Join Chhath Puja Celebrations At Yamuna Ghat

“The Kejriwal government is not allowing us to celebrate Chhath Puja on the banks of the Yamuna. I am appealing to all the mothers and sisters to come here and celebrate Chhath and we will provide them security,” BJP MP Parvesh Verma said.

New Delhi: Insisting on celebrating Chhath Puja at Yamuna Ghat near the Income Tax Office (ITO), Delhi BJP MP Parvesh Verma reached there on Wednesday and invited people to participate in the celebrations.

Verma said he will stay put there till Chhath Puja celebrations peacefully start by the evening.

Also Read: BJP MP Defies DDMA Ban, Performs Chhath Puja Rituals at Yamuna Bank

The BJP MP hit out at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, alleging that he was not concerned about the rituals of Purvanchali people.

“The Kejriwal government is not allowing us to celebrate Chhath Puja on the banks of the Yamuna. I am appealing to all the mothers and sisters to come here and celebrate Chhath and we will provide them security,” Verma said.

“It is incomprehensible to me why people are being stopped from celebrating Chhath there even though they are following all Covid protocols,” Verma told the media.

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) in its order on September 30 had prohibited Chhath Puja celebrations at public places, including Yamuna banks.

However, after protests against Chhath ban by the BJP, the DDMA in its order on October 29 allowed Chhath celebrations at “designated sites” barring the banks of the Yamuna.

It has directed administrative and police officials to ensure strict compliance of all its Covid-related orders.

Verma, who is a West Delhi parliamentarian, accompanied by BJP workers and members of the ‘Purvanchali‘ community, had attended a ‘puja’ and began preparations for the festival that started on Monday.

(PTI)

BJP MP Defies DDMA Ban, Performs Chhath Puja Rituals at Yamuna Bank

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority in its order on October 29 allowed Chhath celebrations only at “designated sites”.

New Delhi: BJP MP Parvesh Verma on Monday performed rituals and launched preparations for Chhath Puja at the Yamuna Ghat near the  Income Tax Department (ITO) despite a ban by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) to perform it on the river’s banks.

The West Delhi parliamentarian, accompanied by BJP workers and members of the ‘purvanchali’ community, attended a ‘puja’ and began preparations for the festival that started on Monday.

People belonging to some parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are referred to as ‘purvanchalis’.

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) in its order on October 29 allowed Chhath celebrations at “designated sites” barring the banks of the Yamuna.

It has directed administrative and police officials to ensure strict compliance of all its Covid-related orders.

Verma had on Sunday asserted to defy the ban on Chhath at Yamuna’s banks and challenged Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to stop him.

According to Hindustan Times, Parvesh Verma criticised Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for banning Chhath Puja celebrations at the Yamuna Ghats.

He said, “If people will not celebrate the Chhath festival at ghats, then where will they offer prayers? On the roads? I’ll go to ITO Chhath ghat at 11am (on Monday) with purchanchalis to start the puja. I challenge Arvind Kejriwal to stop us from celebrating the festival at the ghats, if he can.”

A  senior official government stated, “There will be no arrangements at Yamuna and Hindon river banks this year because of pollution concerns, Covid-19 protocols and various construction projects. Locations are being identified in open areas within the city but the job turned out to be easier said than done because of jurisdiction-related issues and disagreements among agencies, mostly political. We have already started preparation in several locations. The final list should be issued on Monday,” said the official.

The DDMA order also said that any violations of its guidelines are liable to prosecution according to legal provisions, including those of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

(with inputs from PTI)

SC Sets Aside Calcutta HC Order Banning All Firecrackers in Bengal

‘There cannot be a complete ban on firecrackers. Strengthen the mechanism to supervise and see that misuse is stopped.’

New Delhi: There cannot be a complete ban on firecrackers and the mechanism to stop their misuse has to be strengthened, the Supreme Court said on Monday setting aside the Calcutta high court order banning firecrackers during Kali Puja, Diwali and other festivals this year to check air pollution amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

A special bench of Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and Ajay Rastogi also asked the West Bengal government to explore the possibility to ensure at the entry point itself that the banned firecrackers and related items are not imported into the state.

“There cannot be a complete ban on firecrackers. Strengthen the mechanism to supervise and see that misuse is stopped,” the bench observed, adding that this is not a new issue and it is the executive which has to take a call on the issue.

While setting aside the high court’s order, the Supreme Court also gave liberty to any party to approach the high court with adequate materials.

“For the time being we only reiterate the position recorded in the order of the Supreme Court on 29th October 2021. Additionally the State of West Bengal will explore the possibility of ensuring that no banned materials are imported. The mechanism may be strengthened,” the top court said.

The bench, which assembled during the Diwali break, was hearing the pleas against the October 29 order of the high court banning the sale, use and purchase of all types of firecrackers in the state.

“The state should ensure that there is no use or display or bursting of firecrackers of any type at all during Kali Puja, Diwali celebrations as well as Chhath Puja, Jagadhatri Puja, Guru Nanak’s birthday and Christmas and New Year’s eve celebrations this year,” the high court had said.

Only wax or oil-based diyas may be used for the occasion, it had said.

At the outset, senior advocate Siddhartha Bhatnagar, appearing for the association of dealers, referred to the 2020 orders of the National Green Tribunal allowing the use of green crackers.

He also pointed to the recent order of the apex court which said there is no total ban on use of firecrackers and only those fireworks are banned which affect the health of children, senior citizens.

“This is the situation. Green crackers are not banned. We will strictly go by the direction of the Supreme Court and the NGT,” he said.

The apex court, however, said the practical difficulties are for the executive to keep in mind.

The high court has not defined what practical difficulty except saying that implementation will be difficult.

Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan told the apex court that he appears for the petitioner Arjun Gopal in the ongoing case in the apex court on firecrackers.

“I need to give your Lordships a background. We found that the manufacturers were constantly manufacturing non green crackers. The apex court records this and notices this in the recent order dated October 29,” he said.

“CBI had found that several kilograms of barium, which is a banned substance, was being used by the firecracker manufacturers… Implementing agencies lack the desire to implement the directions of the Supreme Court,” he quoted from the apex court order.

Senior advocate Anand Grover, appearing for West Bengal, said the state has been complying and enforcing the orders of the apex court.

“There is a mobile application available like a road traffic app. The police scan the barcode through the application to find out the genuineness of the crackers. The state police have been active. This issue has come out of the blue in the judgment,” he said, adding that there is an unreasonable apprehension of the high court on the issue of implementation.

The top court in its order said, “The state submits that officials are taking necessary steps to ensure that directions issued by this Court are complied with in letter and spirit. We set aside the impugned order and permit any person interested to approach the High Court by placing all relevant materials.”

It said the high court proceeded to pass a blanket order by being influenced by practical realities and lack of mechanism placed by the state before the court as to how the sale/burst/ lighting of only green crackers which are duly certified can be allowed.

“This aspect, as it is stated, was never debated during the course of argument. Mr Grover on instructions submitted that had the court called upon the parties to explain the position, the state govt as well as the state pollution control board would bring all aspects of the matter to the attention of the court…

“We do not deem it necessary to dilate on this aspect as we are convinced that if the HC wanted to impose complete ban should have called up on the parties to offer explanation about the aspects which weigh in to pass such an extreme order and departure from the consistent view by this court on October 29, 2021,” the bench said.

The apex court said it has reiterated the regime delineated by the NGT in respect of manufacture and sale of firecrackers in its earlier order.

“This departure from that regime, something different, has to be pointed out at the ground level including inaction of the executive at the ground level.

“The State submits that officials are taking necessary steps to ensure that directions issued by this Court are complied with in letter and spirit. If there is any inaction on the part of the officials concerned, appropriate remedy will be taken in the matter . We accept this assurance…. We set aside the impugned order and permit any person interested to approach the High Court by placing all relevant materials,” it said.

The authorities concerned shall abide by the set regime, it said.

“Additionally, West Bengal may explore the possibility of ensuring that no import of banned firecrackers or related items within the state at the entry point itself. That mechanism can be strengthened in addition to the strict supervision and verification at places where the trading of fire crackers occurs,” the bench said.

In its order, the high court had said that the expression firecrackers will cover all types of sparklers as well as other similar materials, whether or not their bursting or burning involves any sound or light generation.

“The state should ensure that there is no use or display or bursting of firecrackers of any type at all during Kali Puja, Diwali celebrations as well as Chhath Puja, Jagadhatri Puja, Guru Nanak’s Birthday and Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations this year,” the high court had said.

It had said that only wax or oil-based diyas may be used for the occasion.

It had directed the police to maintain a strict vigil to ensure that there is no further sale or purchase of firecrackers and take appropriate measures against those found violating the order.

The petition in the high court had claimed that the bursting of firecrackers of all classes will severely endanger the right to life of the citizens of the state, particularly in view of the worsening pandemic situation, as it would increase air pollution.

It had sought a re-imposition of the ban that the court had ordered before Diwali and Chhath in 2020.

On October 29, the apex court had said celebration cannot be at the cost of others’ health and clarified that while there is no total ban on the use of firecrackers, fireworks which contain Barium salts are prohibited.

Warning that top officials at various levels “shall be held personally liable” for any lapses, the apex court had said it is unfortunate that despite various directions issued by it there is a blatant violation going on.

Calcutta HC Bans All Firecrackers During Diwali, Other Festivals

On October 29, the West Bengal government had allowed the use of ‘green fireworks’ for a few hours on Diwali, however, a group of Kolkata doctors and environmentalists had written to chief minister Mamata Banerjee requesting a blanket ban on all firecrackers.

Kolkata: The Calcutta high court on Friday, October 29 banned the sale, purchase and use of all firecrackers during Kali Puja, Diwali celebrations and other festivities this year to check air pollution amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Passing the order on a PIL seeking a ban, the court said that the expression “firecrackers” will cover all types of sparklers as well as other similar materials, whether or not their bursting or burning involves any sound or light generation.

“The state should ensure that there is no use or display or bursting of firecrackers of any type at all during Kali Puja, Diwali celebrations as well as Chhath Puja, Jagadhatri Puja, Guru Nanak’s birthday, Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations this year,” the court ordered.

The division bench comprising justices Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya and Aniruddha Roy directed that only wax or oil-based diyas may be used for the occasions.

It directed the police to maintain a strict vigil to ensure that there is no further sale or purchase of firecrackers and to take appropriate measures against those found violating the order.

The order thus nullifies a recent notification by the West Bengal Pollution Control Board that allowed the use of “green” fire crackers for a limited period of time on Diwali and Kali puja.

The petitioner in the PIL had claimed that bursting of firecrackers of all classes will severely endanger the right to life of the citizens of the state, particularly in view of the worsening pandemic situation, as it would increase air pollution.

The PIL sought the re-imposition of the ban that the court had ordered before Diwali and Chhath in 2020.

Also read: Calcutta HC Imposes Strict Curbs on Chhath Puja Congregations

Advocate general S.N. Mookherjee, appearing for the state, pointed out that there are prevalent orders by the Green Tribunal as well as the Supreme Court permitting restricted usage of green crackers during certain hours of the day.

The counsel appearing for the state pollution control board echoed him.

The counsel appearing for the intervener, which is a joint body comprising firecracker manufacturers, submitted that, as per the latest orders of the National Green Tribunal as well as the Supreme Court, the usage of green crackers have been permitted to a limited extent.

He further submitted that only such green crackers which are duly certified by authorised agencies of the central government may be permitted to be used.

He reasoned that the manufacturers who have invested huge amounts of resources in the making of the green crackers would be left in the lurch at the eleventh hour.

Hearing the pleas of all parties, the bench observed that, keeping in view practical realities, it finds nothing to establish that there is any mechanism in place at present to ascertain whether the crackers being sold, burst or lit are only green crackers, which comply with the norms set by the relevant certifying body.

The court said that it would be an impossible task for the police and law enforcement agencies to ascertain the veracity of the certificates of the crackers which are being used by the general public, irrespective of the classification under which they are sold.

The bench further said that, keeping in mind the present pandemic situation “which is getting marginally worse by the day and in view of the fact that even a moderate Air Quality Index (AQI) can cause severe difficulties for people suffering from respiratory problems and long exposure thereof may also affect otherwise healthy people, we are not convinced that firecrackers of any form, either green or of any other category, ought to be permitted to be used during the coming festive season.”

(PTI)

Sound and Fury: PM Modi’s Sixth Address to Nation Furthers BJP’s Political Agenda Alone

The prime minister’s speech was less an address to a nation with several questions and more an attempt to present policy decisions as doles.

New Delhi: Cornered over its poor handling of COVID-19 pandemic and a shaky stance on the recent India-China face-off at the Galwan valley, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sixth “address to the nation” since the outbreak of the pandemic became yet another opportunity for the Union government to capture headlines. 

Over the last week, the Union government has driven a concerted campaign to shut opposition voices which have been raising critical questions against it, and steer the political narrative in its favour.

On Sunday, both the prime minister, in his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio programme, and the Union home minister Amit Shah, in an interview to ANI, attempted to defuse the escalating opposition campaign, raising questions about the competence of the Union government in handling national security issues and the health crisis. 

Almost simultaneously, the Bharatiya Janata Party IT cell stepped up to sidestep these questions by encouraging calls to boycott Chinese goods in the aftermath of the Indo-China skirmish in Ladakh. BJP president J.P. Nadda came to the Union government’s aid when he blamed the former Congress governments for ceding “43,000 kilometres” of India territory to the Chinese, much to the entertainment of Twitterati who leapt to point out Nadda’s serious gaffe. (The figure he quoted was larger than the Earth’s circumference, which is estimated to be 40,075 kms). 

Since last evening when the Prime Minister’s Office announced that Modi will be making a speech at 4 pm on Tuesday, BJP activists managed to create enough hype about it. On Monday night, even as the BJP IT cell raised the hypernationalist pitch, the Union government in retaliatory action, banned 59 applications owned by Chinese companies, including the very popular TikTok and WeChat apps.

While supporters of BJP in the media celebrated it as the ushering of a “New India”, security experts and economists pointed out that the step could hurt India more than China, and saw nothing in it except it being an unapologetic political stunt.  


 When Modi finally spoke, there was barely anything worth the hype. It was clear that domestic political considerations mattered to the Union government more than anything else.  

The Prime Minister, in his characteristic style, appealed against negligence in social behaviour as lockdown measures are being eased, and urged them to take extra care in trying to fend off the coronavirus. He has already been doing so in his last few speeches. 

A large section of people expected him to clarify the Indian position on India-China relations, but he did not touch upon it. 

Rather, he used the platform to drown out opposition voices and other critical narratives against it.  

Muft, muft, muft

While announcing the extension of the Public Distribution Scheme (PDS) benefits until November, the Prime Minister emphasised on the Hindi word “muft” (meaning free) multiple times. 

Modi made out the government’s duty to ensure the right to food and dignity in India a mere dole that the prime minister was himself laying out.  

He said that the ration scheme, under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, will be extended till November. For governments across the world, such an announcement would have been one of the emergency administrative decisions taken during a crisis. However, Modi thought it fit to announce the relief measure himself, and didn’t miss the opportunity to make political capital out of it.

While fighting coronavirus, he said, more than 80 crore Indians were given “muft” rations. “Paanch kg gehoon ya chawal muft diya gaya. prati parivar ko ek kg daal bhi mila, (‘Five kgs of wheat or rice were distributed for free. Every family also received 1 kg of daal),” he said.

“There will be an additional distribution of one kg of chana (Bengal gram) too in this period,” he declared. 

He announced that his government has decided to extend the PDS benefits for the poor until November. As if this was not enough in itself, he decided to illustrate the point further, “Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Anna Yojana Diwali aur Chhath Puja tak kar diya jayega…yaani 80 crore logon ko muft anaj wali yeh yojana ab July, August, September, October, November mein bhi lagu rahegi (‘The Prime Minister Kalyan Food Scheme will not be extended until Diwali and Chhath Puja. This means that this scheme will be in place in July, August, September, October, and November’),” the Prime Minister said. 

A political statement?

His speech was laced with similar hyperbole, true to his style of presenting even a minor announcement as if it was something path breaking. With an unwarranted emphasis on figures, Modi said that in the last three months, the poor were extended benefits worth nearly Rs 2.75 lakh crore.

He also said more than Rs 31000 crore were deposited directly to 20 crore Jan Dhan accounts, while the government released Rs 18,000 crore to be deposited in the bank accounts of around nine crore farmers. He added that Rs 50,000 crore was also spent to generate employment for rural workers under the PM Gareeb Rojgaar Yojana. 

For a country with 130 crore population, a majority of who are poor, Modi quite gratuitously compared India with the US, UK, and European Union. The size of the “free ration scheme” in India was 2.5 times more than the US, 12 times more than Britain, and two times larger than the whole EU, the prime minister made it a point to say.

Since much of the criticism against his government was on the way it handled the migrant worker crisis, he swiftly added that India is on its way to implement “one nation, one ration card” system soon. 

Even as he said that Modi did not leave the opportunity to give a cultural spin to these announcements. He presented these PDS measures as relief for the upcoming Hindu festival season. He tactfully singled out Eid-ul-Adha, which will be celebrated in July, and Guru Purab, observed by Sikhs, in late November for omission in the list of festivals he mentioned in his speech. 

The festive season, notably, does not end with Chhath. December sees Christmas Day, which Modi also missed.

At the same time, his reference to Chhath Puja, a popular Hindu festival celebrated annually in the poll-bound Bihar, also did not go unnoticed. 

The “one nation, one ration card” idea has been in circulation for a long time now, but Modi repeating it indicated that he had his party BJP’s election prospects of Bihar, which has the largest number of migrant workers in India, in mind. 

Much of the figures Modi mentioned in his speech look good only on paper. While attacking him for maintaining absolute silence on China, Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh broke down those figures. He said that the PDS benefits were grossly insufficient. The one-time cash transfer that the PM spoke about was around Rs 500 per family, and the ration kits too have been proving abysmally low in the absence of any income among a large number of families in the last few months.      

He said that the Congress president Sonia Gandhi had already been demanding that PDS benefits be extended. “PM Kisaan Yojana is a two-year old scheme which is again and again announced. ‘One nation, one ration card’ has been announced in the parliament nearly 20 times,” he said at a NDTV show, demanding that at least Rs 7,500 cash should be transferred to every poor family.  

Yet, the BJP spokesperson and Union minister Prakash Javadekar emphasised on the “muft” aspect of the PDS welfare scheme, soon after the PM’s speech.   

The line between the government and the BJP has continuously been thinning over the last six years. Political priorities of the BJP have often been passed off as the Union government’s statement, or positions. 

Only recently, the Prime Minister’s Office tweeted to attack the erstwhile governments led by opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh, while extolling the Adityanath government for its handling of the pandemic in Uttar Pradesh. 

Modi’s speech on Tuesday is yet another case in point. 

High-Stakes Bihar Polls in Five Phases From October 12

The battle for power in Bihar assumes significance in the context of Modi leading the NDA charge after BJP’s debacle in the Delhi assembly polls early this year.

Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi with Election Commissioners A.K. Joti and O.P. Rawat at a press conference to announce the schedule for the Bihar Assembly elections, in New Delhi. Credit: PTI Photo

Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi with Election Commissioners A.K. Joti and O.P. Rawat at a press conference to announce the schedule for the Bihar Assembly elections, in New Delhi. Credit: PTI Photo

New Delhi: Assembly elections in Bihar will be fought in five phases between October 12 and November 5 in a high-stakes battle that is seen as a major popularity test for the National Democratic Alliance spearhead Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and incumbent Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who is in an alliance with RJD and Congress.

Announcing the poll schedule, the Election Commission said that counting of votes will be held on November 8, just three days before Diwali and the locally significant Chhath puja that follows the festival of lights.

Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said polls to the 243-seat Assembly will be held on October 12, 16, 28, November 1 and 5. The term of the current Assembly expires on November 29.

The battle for power in Bihar assumes significance in the context of Modi leading the NDA charge after BJP’s debacle in the Delhi assembly polls early this year. Recently, Modi announced a Rs.1.65 lakh-crore package for Bihar in his bid to end the two-decade reign of the Lalu-Nitish combine.

The BJP and the ruling JD(U) ended the alliance after eight years in power when Nitish Kumar parted ways over Modi being anointed the campaign chief of BJP in 2013 for the Lok Sabha elections.

Noting that a number of important festivals like Dussehra, Eid, Muharram, Diwali and Chhath will fall in the election period, Zaidi said the Commission will ensure communal harmony and peace.

Flanked by Election Commissioners Achal Kumar Joti and Om Prakash Rawat, Zaidi said during the press conference that more than adequate security arrangements have been made by the election body to ensure peaceful, free and fair polls in the state, where over 47 constituencies are hit by Left-wing extremism.

This time, the EC has ensured that Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel are deployed in all the 62,779 polling stations of the state. There are over 6.68 crore voters in the state.

In the first phase on October 12, 49 assembly constituencies will go for polls spread across 10 districts. Polling will be held in 32 assembly constituencies in six districts in the second phase on October 16. Most of the Left-wing-extremism-hit areas will go for elections in the first two phases.

In the third phase, polling will be held in 50 constituencies in six districts, while in the fourth phase 55 assembly seats in seven districts will go for elections. In the last phase, elections will be held in 57 constituencies in nine districts, Zaidi said.

Last time, the Bihar assembly elections were held in six phases.

Asked about the number of central forces personnel provided to the EC for the Bihar assembly polls, Zaidi, while refusing to mention an exact number, said “More than adequate police force is at disposal.”

Sources later said over 6,000 personnel have been provided and the five phases of the election have been so spread to ensure that the men get enough time to mobilise themselves. The CEC also said besides being deployed at all the polling stations, the central forces will also carry out confidence-building measures in sensitive areas.

Area domination exercises, de-mining activities (detection and removal of mines and IEDs), cordon-and-search operations and intelligence-gathering are some of the tasks assigned to central forces, who will also be using boats and helicopters to patrol sensitive areas.

The poll machinery has also decided that police personnel will use horses and motorbikes in difficult terrains to keep a check on trouble makers. Zaidi said keeping in mind past experiences, the EC will this time ensure that people with licensed weapons will deposit them with police authorities to prevent a law and order problem.

Thirty-six constituencies in Bihar will have EVMs equipped with the voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) during the assembly polls. VVPAT is a method of providing feedback to voters using a ballot-less voting system. An EVM will have a small attachment to it, which, after pressing the button for a desired candidate, will print that name on a paper.

It will be stored inside the machine and can be used in case of any dispute over the final results. The CEC said people will be informed about restrictions in carrying cash to the poll-bound state. But in genuine cases, those carrying excess cash will have the amount returned within 24 hours.

From today, a single-window system will be set up in Bihar where political parties and candidates can get approvals for use of public places to hold meetings, use of helicopters and vehicles for campaigning. The clearance, as per norms already laid down, will be granted within 36 hours, the CEC said.