Calcutta High Court on Friday allowed the Bengal government to hold this year’s Ganga Sagar Mela and constituted a three-member committee to monitor adherence to Covid-19 safety protocols at the venue and submit a report to the court.

The committee would comprise the chairperson of the state human rights commission, a government representative and the leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.

The division bench of Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice Kesang Doma Bhutia delivered the verdict on a petition filed by activist Avinandan Mandal.

The petitioner had prayed for an order restraining the state from holding the Mela this year as arrival and gathering of pilgrims could lead to the massive spread of Covid-19 in Bengal and create a great public health hazard, particularly in Calcutta and South 24-Parganas.

The state government represented by advocate-general S.N. Mukherjee had informed the court on Thursday that it did not want to stop the fair, “considering the spiritual belief of the people”. He also said the state had taken elaborate arrangements, including the deployment of 5,000 volunteers, to ensure that Covid-19 safety protocols were adhered to.

The petitioner’s counsel, Srijib Chakraborty, had said there was an apprehension of further spread of the disease and sought a stay on the fair scheduled to be held from January 8 to 15..

The court said the government should publish advertisements in media to sensitise the public to the perils of visiting the fair.

In its 12-page order, the bench said: “Since an apprehension has been expressed that the measures which are disclosed before this court by the state in the affidavit are only paper suggestions and will not be implemented in practice, therefore, we are of the opinion that there should be an independent committee to look into the implementation of these measures and in case, if any violation or shortcoming in implementation is found then to submit a report to the state for completely banning the Mela.”

“The home secretary of the state (B.P. Gopalika) will issue advertisements in the daily newspapers having wide circulation in the state of West Bengal and also through the electronic media, making the public aware of the risk of visiting Ganga Sagar Island between 8th and 16th January, 2022, in large gathering and will make an appeal to them to stay safe and desist from visiting the Ganga Sagar Island during this period,” it added.

Joydeb Mela
The state government on Friday decided to postpone this year’s Joydeb Mela following a spike in Covid-19 cases. Officials, however, said pilgrims would be allowed to take a holy dip in the Ajay.

Joydeb Mela is organised every year on the banks of the Ajay in Birbhum’s Illambazar, on the eve of Makar Sankranti.

Thousands of pilgrims from across Bengal and neighbouring states of Jharkhand and Bihar come for a holy dip. A few hundred tents of folk singers, monks and other religious groups are set up during the three-day fair, which was scheduled to be held from January 13.

Ayan Nath, the subdivisional officer of Bolpur and the secretary of Joydeb Mela, said: “There will be no fair at all and no tents will be allowed to be set up. We will allow pilgrims holy dips but it depends on the situation.”

Additional reporting by Snehamoy Chakraborty