Haridwar seers back stir against Char Dham Board

HARIDWAR: Seers in Haridwar have come out in support of the priests and stakeholders of Char Dham shrines who are protesting against the Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board in the state. Under the aegis of Yuva Bharat Sadhu Samaj, the seers have been opposing the move of the state government to hand over management of Char Dham shrines -- Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri -- along with 47 other temples in Uttarakhand to the Board.

“We oppose the formation of the Char Dham Devasthanam Board and demand its abolition to ensure interest and freedom of the teerth purohits, pundas, priests and stakeholders who have been managing the Char Dham and other 47 temples affairs previously,” said Mahant Shivanand, president of the Yuva Bharat Sadhu Samaj.

“The scrapping of the board will ensure religious freedom and space to the teerth purohits and stakeholders whose interests and livelihood may get affected due to the formation of Char Dham Board.”

At Kedarnath shrine, teerth purohits continued their agitation for eleventh consecutive day. They say they will continue with the agitation unless state government repeals the Devasthanam Board.

Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has formed a committee to submit a report on the issue of Char Dham Devasthanam Board after talking to all stakeholders.

In Haridwar traders have demanded opening up of Char Dham pilgrimage for common devotees, with Covid-19 guidelines. They said prohibition on the pilgrimage has a major impact on local people, teerth purohits, traders, tour-travel operators and devotees .

Under Mahanagar Vyapar Mandal , traders suggested that government allow those devotees who have undergone double vaccination and possess negative RT-PCR report for 72 hours.