Kangana Ranaut Calls Out Sonu Sood’s Stand on Kanwar Yatra Controversy
Yesterday, the controversy related to Kanwar Yatra took another turn as Bollywood celebrities Kangana Ranaut and Sonu Sood got into a war of words. This debate reflected two sides of religious festivals and the steps pertaining to public safety.
Known for never mincing words while expressing views on social and political issues, Kangana Ranaut has come down heavily on Sonu Sood’s stand on the Kanwar Yatra tussle. Every year, Shiva devotees called Kanwar Yatris complete a pilgrimage to fetch holy water from the Ganges River. Now, with a fear of COVID-19 spread and disruption of public order, the scene gets controversial.
He had hailed the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to allow only vegetarian food in restaurants along the Kanwar Yatra route, citing it as a precautionary measure. He spoke of how, in the interest of public safety and following rules amid pandemic times, there should be responsible behavior during religious functions so that health risks are nullified and community well-being is ensured.
However, Kangana Ranaut reacted against Sonu Sood’s stand on social media and asked why the Kanwar Yatra alone should be stopped when other gatherings and events were being carried out. Ranaut, through her series of tweets and interviews, criticizes what she feels is the selective targeting of Hindu festivals, and says similar concerns should apply universally to all religious/cultural events, irrespective of faith.
Now, the exchange between Ranaut and Sood has keyed into larger debates about religious forbearance, public health policies, and the role that celebrities are supposed to play in shaping public opinion. Ranaut’s view sinks into feelings among sections of society that view partial treatment of Hindu festivals against other religious or even secular congregations.
Critics of the Kanwar Yatra point out that large congregations pose a very serious risk of transmission of COVID-19 and strain in the health system during times of pandemic spread. Some state governments have issued decisions to put some restrictions on the Kanwar Yatra, couched as precautionary measures for keeping public health safe from potential super-spreader events.
Exponents of religious freedoms and cultural traditions, however, aver that the restrictions to religious practices shall apply indiscriminately to all communities and not single out specific festivals or religious observances. It shall respect the sentiments and the rights of the faithful while harmonizing public health imperatives.
These varied perspectives by Kangana Ranaut and Sonu Sood have to be understood within broader debates in society regarding secularism, cultural plurality, and state intervention into religious issues. Ranaut’s impassioned defense of Hindu traditions and festivals is likely to strike a chord with sections of the population for whom such cultural expression is bound with identity and heritage.
On the other hand, Sood has been vocal about public safety and the following of COVID-19 protocols; he says that as a public figure, one has to raise concerns over health hazards due to huge congregations and ancillary responsibilities in spreading responsible behavior.
Another controversy that has brought out how to balance religious sensitivities with public health imperatives in a country like India, marked by multiple diversities and pluralities, is the controversy at hand. For state governments, such balancing acts issues of religious freedom with issues of public safety—are quite common, more so when the risk from the health point of view is very high, as in the case of COVID-19.
Just in the past few months alone, there have been a slew of incidents in India—from Kumbh Mela down to recent Eid celebrations—all of which are ordained with public attention apropos of COVID-19 protocols and follow-up impacts on public health. Consistency and transparency at the formulations, therefore, assume great importance with regard to policy formulation vis-à-vis religious gatherings, mitigation of risks, and treating the communities even-handedly.
The role that celebrities like Kangana Ranaut and Sonu Sood play in shaping public discourse over such issues establishes their influence and responsibilities toward being vocal about the concerns of society. Public statements and social media interactions of celebrities amplify the viewpoint, reaching and resonating with heterogeneous audiences, hence adding to bigger debates on culture, religion, and governance.
As debate on the Kanwar Yatra controversy goes on, various stakeholders on either side of the gulf stress the need for dialogue, respect for differing perspectives, and adherence to constitutional principles of secularism and public health. Challenging before the policymakers and civil society remains the way of balancing respect toward religious freedoms and public well-being.
The way Kangana Ranaut went on to challenge Sonu Sood for his stand on the Kanwar Yatra controversy tells a tale of deeper cleavages in society and debates pertaining to religious freedom, cultural traditions, and public health considerations. The exchange underlines just how sensitive the balancing of these varied interests is within as diverse and dynamic a democracy as India, in which issues of identity, faith, and governance cross in deep ways. On such a controversial subject, the last word is far from said; rather, all such issues should be taken up complete with attendant dialogue and principled decision-making to convey responsibility and constructiveness.
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