Simhastha: Opium smoking Nagas & parched farmers

Nagpur: The narrow lanes in Ujjain leading to the banks of Kshipra river were choked with pedestrians and vehicles nudging their way ahead. On Saturday, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Simhastha Kumbh Mela here, the town witnessed an unprecedented traffic jam. Almost 4 lakh pilgrims reached the venue. As it became difficult for the cops to manage, Naga sadhus (naked ascetics) entered the scene.It helped, both out of faith and fear and many fell in line. The Kumbh Mela at Ujjain, which is for the first time being patronized by the central government, had a large team from the ministry of culture at its toes. Apart from Naga sadhus, who have been the evergreen attraction at Kumbh Melas, there were modern godmen like controversial Nityanand and emerging FMCG magnate Ramdeo Baba making a pitch along with politicians from the ruling BJP.
Inside the Kumbh arena, Naga sadhus drew all the attention who openly flashed their opium pipes. Some obliged and posed for a picture and others warned of a dire reaction.
Bidyachal Rout, now Ramgiri Mahant, said he became a sadhu after retiring from the Army, flashing his ex-servicemen’s card. “I draw a pension of 12,500 which I blow it up and also help others. Initially, I regretted becoming a sadhu, but I enjoy the liberty now,” Ramgiri Mahant said.
City-dwellers made it a selfie clicking opportunity after taking a holy dip. The scene was dotted with turbans of different hues worn by the farmers coming from villages in Malwa region around Ujjain. The rustic pilgrims at the banks Kshipra complained of a worst dry spell back at home. TOI talked to farmers coming from neighbouring districts like Ratlam, Shahjahanpur, Khargone, Raigargh and Ujjain. All provided similar versions of poor farm yields.
Ramchand Prajapat from Ronsla village in Rajgargh district, over 150 kms away, said the soybean crop taken in monsoons completely failed. The yields range from a quintal to 50kg in his village. After this, even wheat and gram sowed in winter failed to meet the expectations. “Even drinking water was scarce this summer,” he said. “Normally we get 10-15 quintals of wheat. This time it has come down to 3-4,” said Dharamsinh Rajput, accompanying Prajapat.
Jejumal Jetwha from Jhunkar village in Shahjahanpur district said each family has to spend around 50 a day for buying water. Some have to shell out as much as 100 also. “Summers have always been like that in our area. There is no water in the local dams,” he said. Another farmer Nagu Chaodhary, coming from Ujjain district itself, said his place saw a water crisis for the first time in all these years. Lesser rains had sharply reduced farm income, he said.
“It may not be as worse as Marathwada but there is a crisis indeed. It is hoped that rains this year will wash away all our sorrows,” said an eatery owner at Budwan village in Khandwa district.
Among others, transgenders too pitched their tent at the Kumbh which the locals said was perhaps for the first time that the community has taken part in this religious congegeration. All the means of transports could be seen on the road which led the to Kumbh Mela. If e-rickshaws promoted by the Union road transport, highways and shipping minister, Nitin Gadkari, were seen in good numbers, the pilgrims were also ferried on handcarts.
The local labourers who came up with this ingenuous idea charged 10 per passenger. The sea of humanity which descended for the event had led the rates of hotels skyrocketing not just in at Ujjain but also in adjoining areas.
(The reporter had visited
Simhastha Kumbh Mela on a trip sponsored by the SCZCC)