Kanwar Yatra ends: Chaos ends with brawls, deaths in Delhi-NCR

The 12-day-long Kanwar Yatra, which took hold of major sections of Delhi-NCR, ended with a mix of cacophony and tragedy on Friday, with reports of traffic jams, mayhem, brawls, and even deaths.
In the mayhem that gripped Delhi and surrounding regions on Friday, two people lost their lives while more than a dozen people were wounded in separate incidents that involved accidents and clashes between groups of pilgrims.
Hundreds of kanwars emerged on nearly all critical roads across the National Capital Region (NCR) from early in the morning, blaring deafening music from giant truck and tractors laden with boomboxes, even as residents complained that some of the participants attacked vehicles, stopped cars at will, and left a trail of litter.
Police were seen playing the role of mere spectators in the midst of the disruption.
Two pilgrims were killed in the afternoon after they crashed their motorcycle into the rear of a pick-up truck on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway near Noida’s Sector 58, police said.
“The deceased have been identified as Shubham Pandey, 20 and Rahul Dubey, 24, who hailed from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh and resided in Dilshad Colony in Delhi,” said Amit Kumar, station house officer, Noida Sector 58. “On Friday around 1pm, when they were heading towards Delhi via the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, they crashed into another vehicle opposite Shipra Mall,” he said.
Meanwhile, in Gurugram, a massive brawl erupted between two groups of kanwars in which at least 14 people were injured. The source of the spat, police said, was an old incident of road rage that took place on July 27 when the groups were leaving for Haridwar.
Five cars and SUVs, including a police emergency response vehicle, were damaged as the groups resorted to pelting stones and bricks, police said. No arrest was made in the case till late evening.
“The suspects will be arrested soon. Both sides already had rivalry on different issues, including the road rage which culminated into the clash. An FIR in connection with the clash was under process of being registered,” said Gurugram’s assistant commissioner of police (crime) Varun Kumar Dahiya, adding that they have CCTV footage and multiple videos of the entire clash.
Police said that on July 27, a vehicle of the group of kanwariyas from Prem Nagar damaged a vehicle of the other group, who reside in a slum in the vicinity, while overtaking them on their way to Haridwar. Police said the issue was settled, but the slum dwellers allegedly attacked the Prem Nagar group on Friday morning when both sides met after offered holy water at a temple in Sector 12, which snowballed into a fight.
Mayhem on the streetsMeanwhile, on the roads across NCR, there were complaints of kanwariyas attacking vehicles, littering, and driving on the wrong side of road leading to traffic jams.
“Along the Ring Road in the morning, there were some 10 men on three motorcycles with whistles and sticks. They stopped every 50 metres and hopped from one motorcycle to another, taking almost two full lanes for this sport. They would hit any other vehicle that came near them, damaging the vehicle,” said Namita Verma, a commuter.
Residents said that the final day’s celebrations by the kanwariyas also left arterial roads littered with trash. Keerat Singh, a Gurugram resident who works in Delhi, said that along the entire border between the two cities near the Shiv temple, scores of people were dancing and eating while leaving a huge mess behind.
“The last few days have been chaotic and Friday was the worst with complete lawlessness along the roads and the expressway full of filth after the devotees feasted near the temples,” Singh said.
Other residents said that though the regulations do not allow loud music at events after 10pm, it did not apply to kanwar camps across the city. There are over 200 camps set up across Delhi, most of which are in east Delhi, according to the police.
“This is a problem every year where they continue to blare deafening music during the day and night, disturbing the residents, especially senior citizen. We have made several complaints to the police, but it seems like they cannot control the situation,” said Vinod Nair, RWA president of pocket D SFS flats, Mayur Vihar Phase 3.
A senior Delhi Police officer who did not wish to be named, said that during the interstate coordination meeting with UP and Uttarakhand, the states were told to not allow triple riding on two-wheelers, tractors and mini trucks. “However, these are allowed every year from other states. If we impose too many restrictions, there may be backlash as it is a religious matter. However, we take action as much as possible, especially through electronic surveillance and e-challans,” said the officer.