Follow us on: facebook.com/dailypioneer RNI No.2016/1957, REGD NO. SSP/LW/NP-34/2019-21 @TheDailyPioneer instagram.com/dailypioneer/ Established 1864 OPINION 8 Published From AVENUES 10 WORLD 13 DELHI LUCKNOW BHOPAL A FRACTURED PURSUE BLOGGING AS A TERRORISTS ATTACK BHUBANESWAR RANCHI RAIPUR NEGOTIATION MAINSTREAM CAREER NAIROBI HOTEL CHANDIGARH DEHRADUN Late City Vol. 155 Issue 15 LUCKNOW, WEDNESDAY JANUARY 16, 2019; PAGES 16 `3 *Air Surcharge Extra if Applicable INDIA BEAT AUSTRALIA BY SIX} WICKETS } 15 SPORT www.dailypioneer.com Confluence of faith begins with Shahi Snan PNS n ALLAHABAD congregation in the world, were move about naked with ash the first to take the holy bath smeared on their whole body. umbh, the mega spiritual known as ‘Shahi Snan’. They “It is surreal. I had always Kevent, kicked off to a splen- marched majestically, dancing heard about them. In fact, one of did start as auspicious Makar and humming devotional songs, the reasons we wanted to come Sankranti dawned upon the all the way to the confluence. to the Kumbh was to see them sangam, the confluence of holy “Me and my family came around in real as we are told that this is Ganga, Yamuna and mytholog- 4:30 am thinking that it will be the only festival in which they ical Saraswati. Amid chants of too crowded later. arrive in numbers,” said Manuel ‘Har Har Gange’, thousands of “Not that it is any less crowd- Matthaus, who had come from seers, lakhs of devotees took a ed now. Also, we didn’t want to Germany. “Yes, I did plan to take holy dip in the Sangam waters in miss the march of various akha- the bath. But I guess the water search of salvation. ras that will be taking part at the now is too freezy for my linking. A good number of devotees Shahi Snan ritual,” said 35-year- May be later in the evening,” he had enjoyed the festival bathing old Anshuman, who had just added, as his girlfriend was busy on Monday itself while lakhs taken the holy dip. capturing the spectacle on her kept on pouring in from places The order in which the holy camera. far and near for the Sankranti dip is performed by various About 12 crore people are bathing. Carrying their belong- akharas is pre-determined. expected to visit the Kumbh ings on shoulders they reached It started with Mahanirvani between now and Maha Shivratri the temporary bathing ghats to along with the Atal akhara, the on March 4, when the Mela will have a dip right from the wee Niranjani along with the come to a close, for a holy dip at hours till sunset. Ananada Akhara, and the Juna the Sangam. It was traditionally Devotees braved the cold along with the Avahana and called ‘Ardh Kumbh’ as it takes weather to take a dip in the icy Agni akharas. place twice in 12 years, but the water as they reached the Kumbh They are followed by present Uttar Pradesh govern- Nagari which witnessed a huge Nirvani akhara, Digambara ment recently renamed it rush of people from far-away akhara, Nirmohi akhara, Bada ‘Kumbh’. In 2013, according to a lands as early as 4 in the morn- Udasin akhara, Naya Udasin recent book ‘Kumbha: The ing. akhara and lastly by the lone Sikh Traditionally Modern Mela’, 12 Sadhus of 13 akharas (seven akhara called Nirmal akhara. crore attended the grand fair. Shaiva, three Vaishnava, two Attracting eye-balls of one The state government Udasina, and one Sikh) who and all, especially the foreigners, expects the number to go high- have traditionally participated in was the march of Naga sadhus, er this time. the Kumbh Mela, the largest a martial order of ascetics who ■ Related reports on Pg 6 2 MLAs quit Forget past differences, Govt; BJP Pol storm in K’taka; bundles off its 100 MLAs work for victory: Maya HDK ‘totally relaxed’ to Manesar the Chief Minister said, “What ‘Victory of all joint SP-BSP candidates will be my ideal birthday gift’ KESTUR VASUKI n BENGALURU is going to happen? If two Independents declare support n a setback to the coalition (to BJP). What will be the PNS n LUCKNOW She called for one-time waiv- IGovernment of the Congress numbers?” er of the entire loan which and the Janata Dal(S) in Amid claims that the BJP ppealing to party loyalists would check farmers’ suicides Karnataka, two Independent was trying to lure the Congress Athat a vote for the as well as resolve all their prob- MLAs on Tuesday withdrew MLAs and whisked away three ‘mahaghatbandhan’ will be the lems. their support even as the BJP of them to Mumbai, AICC gen- real gift on her birthday, Addressing a press confer- shifted nearly 100 of its MLAs eral secretary KC Venugopal Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ence on her 63rd birthday here to Manesar in Haryana. held a meeting with supremo Mayawati raised on Tuesday, Mayawati lam- Unfazed by these develop- Kumaraswamy after holding issues pertaining to problems of basted the BJP for fooling peo- ments, Chief Minister HD discussions with former Chief farmers while firing a salvo ple for five years. She appealed Kumaraswamy said he was Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy both at the Congress and the to workers of her party and the “totally relaxed” and there was Chief Minister G Parameshwara, Bharatiya Janata Party. Samajwadi Party to forget their no threat to his Government. senior Minister DK Shivakumar, “The farmers of the coun- past differences to fight the R Shankar of Ranebennur Home Minister MB Patil and try can only be benefited by the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. and MLA H Nagesh from other party functionaries. implementation of the “Forget past differences Mulabagilu Assembly con- Later speaking to reporters, Swaminathan Commission and ensure victory of all joint stituency wrote to Governor the Chief Minister said, “This report as then the farmers candidates of the SP and the Vaju Bhai Vala saying they ‘Operation Lotus’ is a false would not be forced to take BSP. This will be my ideal were withdrawing support to alarm created by media. There loans for their needs,” sug- birthday gift,” Mayawati said. the coalition Government led is no threat to the Government. gested Mayawati while target- Mayawati said Uttar by Chief Minister HD Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and Archbishop Bernard Blasius I enjoy the news channels run- ing both the national parties. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav greets Bahujan Samaj Party chief Pradesh, which is India’s largest Kumaraswamy. Moras during the annual feast at Infant Jesus Church in Bengaluru on Monday PTI ning programmes like soap She asserted that whether it was Mayawati on her birthday in Lucknow on Tuesday AP state, will decide who will be These Independent MLAs opera about threat to the the BJP or the Congress, both the next Prime Minister. “UP had extended their support to Government.” were just taking cosmetic Rs 2 lakh. “As many as 70 per from local sahukars or local decides who will come to the Congress-JD(S) alliance Congress leader and made a Minister for a while.” Operation Lotus refers to action to waive loans taken cent of the farmers, including loan sharks”, she pointed out, power at the Centre and who when it was formed in May last. Deputy Chief Minister G Asserting that he was total- BJP’s poaching of MLAs from from banks and other financial the landless, were gripped by adding the loan waivers had will be the Prime Minister. The Political experts say at this Parameshwara said, “We have ly relaxed and is sure about his other parties during BS institutions and that too up to the problem after taking loans given no relief to such farmers. Continued on Page 4 juncture it may not affect the heard that the two Independent strength, the Chief Minister Yeddyurappa’s first stint as stability of the coalition MLAs want to withdraw sup- said, “If two MLAs withdraw Chief Minister. Government since the port to the Government. As their support, what will be the JD(S) chief and former Congress with 80 MLAs and Independents, they are free to numbers? I’m totally relaxed. I Prime Minister HD Deve SC refuses to the JD(S) with 37 enjoy a clear take any decision they want. know my strength. Whatever is Gowda too said nothing would 10% gen poor quota from this majority in the 224-member They had extended support going on in media in the past happen to the Government Karnataka legislature where when the Government was week, I am enjoying,” he said. headed by his son. “It is not in undo Mamata halfway mark is 113. formed and one of them was Taking a swipe at the BJP, Continued on Page 4 academic session: HRD Min Govt ban on to implement the quota. BJP rath yatras Left hates Indian culture, Modi raps Sabarimala stand Seats in higher “The reservation will be implemented from the 2019- PNS n NEW DELHI KUMAR CHELLAPPAN n KOLLAM Kollam in general and Kerala edu institutions 2020 academic session itself. in particular that the BJP would Nearly 25 per cent seats will be he Supreme court on aking the fight to his ene- soon emerge as the ruling and universities added to ensure that the reser- TTuesday refused to give the Tmies’ camps on Tuesday, party of the State. vation does not disturb the go-ahead to the BJP’s pro- Prime Minister Narendra Modi “I know the karyakartas of to be hiked 25% existing quota for SC, ST and posed “rath yatras” in West warned both the LDF and the the BJP are being assaulted, other categories.