Kanwariyas Attack Akal Academy School Bus in Haryana

On 30 Jul, in Fatehabad Ratia, Haryana, a school bus from Akal Academy Ajitsar, carrying around 37 students and three teachers, was attacked by a group of Kanwariyas. Kanwariyas are Hindu devotees of Lord Shiva who undertake an annual pilgrimage to Haridwar to collect water from river Ganges. The attack took place after the driver accidentally grazed a makeshift chariot. Despite initial attempts by the driver and police to pacify the pilgrims, the situation deteriorated, though no one was injured. The police have booked 40-50 unidentified men and two locals - Vikas Grover and Sanju Jangra from the Hindutva outfit Bajrang Dal, who allegedly instigated the mob. In November 2023 Vikas and Sanju disrupted renovations at Gurdwara Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Purana Bazar, Ratia. On 3 Aug, Hindutva outfits Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal protested the First Information Reports (FIR) and demanded an FIR against local councilor Gurpreet Singh, accusing him of derogatory remarks against the Kanwariyas. Sukhdev Singh, trustee of Akal Academy which runs 130 schools, two universities, and hospitals in five states across the country, said, ‘We might be a Sikh-run school, but we have children from all religions studying here. We respect the pilgrims. They have been traveling peacefully since ages.’ Over the last few years, a simple pilgrimage has been weaponized by Hindutva forces. Earlier this year, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath issued orders to eateries along the Kanwariya route to display the names of their owners and workers. The intent was for Muslim businesses to be identifiable and lose money even though they respect the pilgrims. The Supreme Court of India stayed those orders.