Justice Katju’s View on Government Funding for Kumbh Mela
Secularism vs. Superstition: A Critical Analysis of Kumbh Mela
- The Role of Politics in Kumbh Mela 2025
- Why Justice Katju Calls Kumbh Mela Funding Unconstitutional
- Scientific Temper and Superstition: Kumbh Mela Debate
- Modi, Yogi, and the Politicization of Religious Events
- The Financial Burden of Kumbh Mela on Indian Taxpayers
Discover Justice Markandey Katju's bold views on the Kumbh Mela 2025. From questioning government funding to addressing superstition and political motives, this critical analysis explores the intersection of religion, politics, and secularism in India.
The Truth about the Kumbh Mela
By Justice Markandey Katju
A religious congregation called the Kumbh Mela is going to start in Allahabad, India from 13th January 2025 and will continue till 26th February 2025, in which 400 million people ( mostly Hindus ) from all over the world are expected to participate.
In this congregation, people will have a bath in the Sangam ( the confluence of the Ganges and the Jamuna rivers, which is regarded sacred by Hindus ) under the belief that this will wash off their sins, though I regard this as pure superstition and nonsense,
A huge amount of money ( estimated at over Rs 9,000 crores) has been spent on this event by the Central and UP Governments, to which I have strongly objected. It will be blowing up a huge sum of money on a religious event, money which should be spent on the welfare of our people like building good schools and hospitals.
I have no objection to holding Melas or taking out religious processions or going to temples, mosques, churches or gurdwaras. What I object to is the government doling out huge sums of money on a religious event.
The Indian Constitution says that India is a secular country. Secularism does not mean that one cannot practise his/her religion. It means that religion is a private affair, and the state will have nothing to do with it. In other words, there will be a separation of church and state,
So if people want to hold a Mela, they have the right to do so, but they have to do so at their own expense, not by government funding.
Also, the Mela promotes superstitions, as people have a bath under the belief that this washes away their sins, which is unscientific and humbug.
People have the right to be stupid and believe in superstitions. But why why should the government promote superstitions by financing them ? In fact this is against Article 51A(h) of the Indian Constitution which directs all citizens ( which includes government authorities too ) to promote the scientific temper
The event has been politicised by the BJP probably with an eye on the coming 2027 UP elections, and elections in other states to get Hindu votes, as is evident from the fact that all over the Mela premises there are huge portraits and posters of Modi and Yogi Adityanath. This is reminiscent of the Ram Mandir 'pran pratishtha' ceremony in January 2024 in Ayodhya, which was politicised with an eye on the coming parliamentary election of 2024.
I have written an article and given 3 video interviews to the eminent Indian journalist Neelu Vyas in this connection, which are given below. These reveal the truth about the Kumbh Mela .
(Justice Katju is a retired judge of the Supreme Court of India. These are his personal views.)
