Pilgrims as hooligans. But what's the agenda??

[...]The increased militancy of these kavadiyas is akin to that of the Ram bhakts who pulled the Babri masjid down and participated in Godhra-type carnages. Most kavadiyas are young men. Is it not surprising that increasingly large numbers of such men are able to take almost a month off from whatever productive activity they pursue? Most of them are likely to be unemployed rural and semi-urban youth. {What! No mention of muslims resorting to violence in Agra after Shaab e baraat? Worried about what might happen in the future but overlook the present and the past? The argument given by many mohammedan apologists is that unemployment turns them into terrorists and it is possible for these kanwariyas too can turn into self exploding missiles. Why doesn't our 'secular' government reserve more jobs for these folks knowing what can happen in the future a la mohammedans?}

The holiness of the task to be undertaken allows them to obtain the permission of parents and provides them with an opportunity to create a sense of self-worth. However, the lack of any real piety turns this exercise into a kind of militant flaunting of religious identity. The likelihood of its being exploited by Bajrang Dal type of communal armies aimed at other religious minorities cannot be discounted. {And how do you measure the piety or lack of piety? Any hard data or fore-knowledge which I am clueless about? Ramzaan and mohammedan festivals too have been exploited in the past (present and future too) in India by muslim fundamentalists to fan communal hatred, why not mention those too(being secular only)?}

In towns of north India, the traditional patrons of mass religion, of Ramlilas and other religious functions, have been the trader class and more recently politicians. They are also the sponsors of large-scale feasting of kavadiyas. Most kavadiyas seem to be OBC or Dalit men. For many such youngsters, the path towards upward acceptance into mainstream upper caste Hinduism has been through association with one or the other of the central deities of classical Hinduism, Shiva and Hanuman. {Pray, tell me how this upward aceeptance work?The author being a Sikh(practising or not, who knows), she might not know that Hindus (upper,lower, middle, left, right and center castes) can worship any gods and if I pray to Goddess Durga, will this 'demote' me in the caste hierarchy since She (Goddess Durga) is not among the central deities of 'classical' Hinduism as given by the author? Where do Brahma and Vishnu (Bajrang Bali Hanuman is the 11th Rudra avataar of Shiva) fit in this 'classical' Hinduism? I am curious to know what other forms of Hinduism exist apart from 'Classical' one? Must say, it is quite entertaining to read such authors.}

The patron saint of akhadas and body builders is Hanuman; that of the trishul-wielders is often Shiva, the destroyer. There is great scope for exploiting such followers for religious vendettas apart from the nuisance they pose through violating civic space and facilities. We should rethink our patronage of kavadiyas before we face violence of an uncontrollable sort. {Here is the agenda: Unity of Hindus is bad. But to the dismay of the author, opposite is happening, so raise red herrings like great scope of blah blah, equate Kanwariya's with Babri demolishers and even go to the extent of re-inventing Hinduism. Why don't we ban Haj if the author fears such a scenario since muslim hajjis are known to have turned jihadi after the so-called pilgrimage to Sowdi Arabia. Ms. Kaur won't touch muslims since they might just explode in her face and criticizing mohammedan, even jihadi, activities might get you the label of fundamentalist, communal etc. What next, don't go on pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi, Amarnath or Tirupati? Another gem here, patron saint of trishul wielders is often Shiva. How often? Because Goddess Durga too carries a trishul.}

(Ravinder Kaur, The writer teaches at the department of humanities and social sciences, IIT, Delhi.)

Times of India
Maybe memsahib should take advantage of being in an IIT and get herself enrolled in beginner mathematics classes, some logical sense might take root. Also, please practice 'secularism' to the hilt and also mention the mohammedan pilgrim violence in Agra.

One can sense desperation in these lying articles and they are not fooling anybody. Desperation will get louder and shriller from these failed social 'engineers' but in the end, Satyamev Jayate.