Thousands of personnel, including policemen were deployed for round the clock duty. More than five hundred doctors, equal number of nurses were kept on the alert lest pilgrims required emergency medical attention. To keep the area clean was another task which was done with great efficiency. The Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan gave personal attention to various arrangements. Almost every day he was in Ujjain along with his wife. But this was done after spending crores of rupees. It is estimated that more than Rs. 5,000/- crores were spent on providing various facilities.

The Madhya Pradesh government’s expense on Simhastha Kumbh-related advertisements alone reveals the extent of the branding blitzkrieg. State public relations department officials told this reporter that the department spent Rs 600 crore on advertising this event. This alone is over double the budget for the entire 2004 Kumbh. The expenses this year were on advertisements in print, television, websites, as well as on booklets to attract devotees to the mega event. In most of these advertisements, Chauhan’s face dwarfs the Simhastha 2016 logo. The state’s public relations department put up Chauhan’s hoardings even in far-off Delhi and Mumbai.

During the 2004 Kumbh, the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Madhya Pradesh led by Uma Bharati had earmarked Rs 256 crore for the religious congregation. In February, state transport minister Bhupendra Singh, who is also in charge of the Simhastha, said that Madhya Pradesh had spent Rs 3,000 crore on preparations for the Kumbh so far, and that the total expenditure could go up to Rs 5,000 crore. He justified the expenditure, saying a large chunk of it was spent to build permanent structures to develop Ujjain into a major pilgrimage centre. This spending comes even as 41 of the state’s 51 districts are reeling under drought, and lakhs of farmers are still awaiting their share in the relief package that the Chauhan government has announced. It comes even as the state’s debt ballooned to over Rs 1 lakh crore in 2014-15 from Rs 20,000 crore in 2003, when the BJP came to power in Madhya Pradesh. In fact, budgets of several state departments have been curtailed to fund the proposed relief package for farmers. Critics say that never in the history such a huge amount was spent on Kumbh.

Critics point out the chief minister converted the Kumbh into an official programme which was in fact against the letter and spirit of the Constitution. According to our Constitution, the state protects all the religions but will not extend patronage to any particular religion. It may be recalled that after independence, Sardar Patel proposed that Somnath temple which was damaged by foreign aggressors should be rebuilt with government resources. Nehru said no and suggested that a trust should be constituted to raise funds to renovate the temple. Here in this year's Kumbh the government played the role of the sole organisation and converted it into an official activity.

The state government put up huge hoardings with chief minister's picture inviting people to come to Ujjain for the Kumbh. These advertisements were published in newspapers and T.V. channels much before the event and even during the Kumbh. Many people including saints said that there was no need to extend invitation that too on behalf of the government.

In the earlier Kumbhs, VIPs were discouraged from visiting Kumbh specially during Shahi Snans. But this time no such restriction was enforced. Mr. Sunderlal Patwa, former BJP chief minister during whose tenure a Kumbh took place confirmed that he did issue such an advisory which was followed by most of the VIPs including ministers. But this time besides the chief minister even the Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself came during the Kumbh. Off course Modi did not come as a pilgrim but he came as the chief guest at the valedictory function of a three day international symposium held during the Kumbh. This event was inaugurated by RSS chief Dr. Mohan Bhagwat.

Modi during his speech chided the people that it was wrong to think that your sins can be washed (forgiven) by taking a dip in a holy river. The international symposium was also attended by the Srilanka president. The symposium was held in specially built auditorium on the fields of farmers who were asked to vacate their cultivable land. In some, cases standing crops were destroyed to make space forth the event. Affected farmers allege that they have not been adequately compensated. Some helipads were built near the venue of the symposium. A special cottage was also built for the expected three hour stay of the Prime Minister. It is claimed that the conclusions of the three day deliberation will help solve many complicated problems faced by the humanity at large. Some ugly incidents involving saints marred the event. Violence broke out during the elections of a spiritual organisation of saints.

Similarly heated exchanges and allegations were made by two Shankra Charyas accusing each other of being bogus claimants. Though sale and consumption of liquor was banned during the Kumbh but many other intoxicants and narcotics were freely available. In fact police seized—a huge stock of such intoxicants from a group of criminals. (IPA Service)