Sunday, 24 July 2022 | PNS | Haridwar

In what may seem like a competition between Uttarakhand and neighbouring Uttar Pradesh to welcome Kanwadiyas, the authorities in Uttarakhand are doing their bit to exhibit their respect for people arriving here during the Kanwad Mela. On Saturday, the Government Railway Police (GRP) welcomed the Kanwadiyas in Haridwar as the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) band played its tune.

The GRP senior superintendent of police Dadanpal Singh said that the GRP thought of welcoming the Kanwadiyas coming from different parts of India as the PAC band played.  He further said that the GRP also conveyed the message of safety to Kanwadiyas. “While travelling in train all must take special precautions, take care of the things around them and inform the GRP if any suspicious unclaimed object is seen. We have placed a number of banners also displaying the number of the station head and other phone numbers to call in case any suspicious object is seen,” he said.

The BJP State government is doing its best to woo Kanwadiyas, going to the extent of blatantly ignoring the official orders of the State police and existing laws regarding the height of Kanwads and noise pollution generated by sound systems carried on vehicles bringing youth from other States to the Kanwad Mela here. In the recent past, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had washed the feet of some Kanwadiyas in Haridwar. A few days later, the district administration flew a chopper with the district magistrate and SSP aboard to shower petals on Kanwadiyas. Not to be left behind, the GRP also followed suit and did its bit and welcomed the Kanwadiyas to the sound of a uniformed band.