The UP government gives Rs 1 lakh to each district for special events - including the Akhand Ramayana recitation on Navratri. Events are meant to be held in every block and all preparations need to be complete by March 21. While the separation of the state and religion as espoused by the Constitution has been at the core of the secular ideal, these standards have been questioned in Uttar Pradesh. Year after year, Kanwar yatris have been garlanded by everyone from political leaders to police officers. They have been showered petals from helicopters. This is not a debate on the significance of Hindu religious festivals. It's more about whether this is being done to push the idea of a Hindu Rashtra ahead of elections, something which is at odds with the basic identity of what India has been.
