Latest news with #Chhathpuja
Hans India
12-08-2025
- General
- Hans India
Centre initiates nomination of Chhath festival for UNESCO heritage list
Patna: The Union Government has asked the Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) to examine and process the nomination of Chhath Mahaparva for inclusion in UNESCO's representative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of humanity. A letter from Ankur Verma, Under Secretary to the Government of India, was sent to the SNA after Chhathi Maiya Foundation chairman Sandeep Kumar Dubey submitted a proposal for the festival's inclusion on July 7. Chhath Mahaparva, deeply rooted in Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, is celebrated with devotion by communities from these regions across the world. The SNA, as the nodal agency, has been asked to take appropriate action on the proposal. The deeply spiritual Chhath Puja, rooted in ancient folk traditions, comes twice a year and is celebrated across Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh, and Nepal's Mithila region. The festival honours Surya (the Sun God) and Chhathi Maiya, observed over four days through elaborate rituals symbolising purification, gratitude, and unwavering devotion. The opening day, Nahai-Khai, begins with 'chhath vratis' (devotees), bathing in rivers or ponds for ritual purification. They then don fresh clothes and prepare a simple, satvik meal of pumpkin, gram pulse, and rice, seasoned only with rock salt. This offering, shared as prasad, represents purity, discipline, and a spiritual reset. Following this, 'chhath vratis' take a solemn vow to fast for the next three days, adhering to strict cleanliness, avoiding prohibited foods, and dedicating themselves entirely to the worship of the Sun God. The festival is known for its intense 36-hour waterless fast, which devotees undertake with remarkable endurance, attributing their strength to faith. The rituals are steeped in tradition - from cooking on a mango wood-fired stove to avoiding non-satvik ingredients such as onions, garlic, and animal products. The colours yellow and red dominate the attire, symbolising purity and devotion. Soulful Chhath songs in honour of Chhathi Maiya echo through homes and ghats, preserving the festival's rich folk heritage. More than just a religious observance, Chhath puja is a celebration of discipline, community, and deep cultural continuity - a testament to the enduring bond between faith and tradition.
Time of India
03-08-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Mass disenfranchisement is serious issue: Chidambaram slams ECI over Bihar SIR row
Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram has criticized the Election Commission of India (ECI) regarding the Special Intensive Revision exercise. He questioned the ECI's conclusion that lakhs of voters in Bihar have permanently migrated, leading to the deletion of their names from the voter list. Chidambaram also raised concerns about the reported addition of 6. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Criticising the Election Commission of India (ECI) on the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday questioned as to how poll body come to the conclusion that several lakh voters in Bihar have "permanently migrated" resulting in "deletion" of their names from voters a post on X, Chidambaram said that mass disenfranchisement is a serious issue and questioned whether any inquiry was done by the ECI to ascertain the "permanently migrated" status of enrolled voters in Bihar."How did the ECI come to the conclusion that several lakh persons, whose names are in the current electoral rolls of Bihar, must be excluded because they had "permanently migrated" out of the state? That is the question Before you reach the conclusion that a person has "permanently migrated" out of a State, should not a thorough enquiry be conducted into each case?"How could such an enquiry involving 37 lakh persons have been conducted in a period of 30 days? Mass disenfranchisement is a serious issue, and that is why the Supreme Court is hearing the petitions," he in the day, the Senior Congress leader had criticised the ECI over the 'reports' of the addition of approximately 6.5 lakh migrant workers to Tamil Nadu's electoral rolls and called it "alarming" and "patently illegal."In a post on X, Chidambaram wrote," The SIR exercise is getting curiouser and curiouser While 65 lakh voters are in danger of being disenfranchised in Bihar, reports of "adding" 6.5 lakh persons as voters in Tamil Nadu is alarming and patently illegal Calling them "permanently migrated" is an insult to the migrant workers and a gross interference in the right of the electorate of Tamil Nadu to elect a government of its choice Why should the migrant worker not return to Bihar (or his/her home state) to vote in the State Assembly election, as they usually do? Does not the migrant worker return to Bihar at the time of the Chhath puja festival? A person to be enrolled as a voter must have a fixed and permanent legal home."Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday said that not a single claim or objection has been filed by any political party with respect to draft rolls."From August 1 to August 3, 3:00 PM, all political parties put together, have filed zero claims and objections for the addition of the names of eligible electors and deletion of the names of ineligible election," said the poll panel.
Economic Times
03-08-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
Patently illegal: Chidambaram slams ECI over reported addition of 6.5 lakh migrant voters in Tamil Nadu
Synopsis Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram has strongly criticized the Election Commission of India (ECI) for adding approximately 6.5 lakh migrant workers to Tamil Nadu's electoral roll under the Special Intensive Revision exercise, deeming it "alarming" and "patently illegal." He accuses the ECI of overstepping its authority and attempting to alter the electoral character of states, urging political and legal action. Agencies Congress leader P Chidambaram Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday strongly criticised the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the addition of approximately 6.5 lakh migrant workers to the electoral roll in Tamil Nadu under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, calling it "alarming" and "patently illegal."In a post on X, Chidambaram wrote," The SIR exercise is getting curiouser and curiouser While 65 lakh voters are in danger of being disenfranchised in Bihar, reports of "adding" 6.5 lakh persons as voters in Tamil Nadu is alarming and patently illegal Calling them "permanently migrated" is an insult to the migrant workers and a gross interference in the right of the electorate of Tamil Nadu to elect a government of its choice Why should the migrant worker not return to Bihar (or his/her home state) to vote in the State Assembly election, as they usually do? Does not the migrant worker return to Bihar at the time of the Chhath puja festival? A person to be enrolled as a voter must have a fixed and permanent legal home."He added, "The migrant worker has such a home in Bihar (or another state). How can he/she be enrolled as a voter in Tamil Nadu? If the migrant worker's family has a permanent home in Bihar and lives in Bihar, how can the migrant worker be considered as "permanently migrated" to Tamil Nadu?"Chidambaram accused the Election Commission of overstepping its authority. "The ECI is abusing its powers and trying to change the electoral character and patterns of States This abuse of powers must be fought politically and legally @CMOTamilnadu," the post added on X. Meanwhile the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday said that not a single claim or objection has been filed by any political party in the first 24 hours of the publication of the draft electoral rolls in Bihar. "From August 1 (3 PM) till August 2 (3 PM), all political parties put together, have filed 'Zero' claims and objections for the addition of the names of eligible electors and deletion of the names of ineligible electors," said the poll panel in a press note.
NDTV
03-08-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
"Curiouser And Curiouser": P Chidambaram Slams Poll Body Over Bihar List
New Delhi: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of political manipulation and undermining electoral integrity. His remarks came amid controversy over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, ahead of assembly elections in the state this year. In a statement posted on X, Mr Chidambaram described the developments as "curiouser and curiouser," questioning both the motivation and legality of the poll body's changes in Bihar and Tamil Nadu. "The SIR exercise is getting curiouser and curiouser. While 65 lakh voters are in danger of being disenfranchised in Bihar, reports of 'adding' 6.5 lakh persons as voters in Tamil Nadu is alarming and patently illegal," Mr Chidambaram wrote. According to the poll body, the reasons for these deletions included 22.34 lakh marked as dead, 36.28 lakh listed as "permanently shifted or absent," and 7.01 lakh classified as duplicate entries. Opposition parties, particularly the Congress and the RJD, have strongly questioned these figures. Mr Chidambaram has demanded that the poll body explain how it determined a person to be "permanently migrated" or dead, and whether documentary proof was collected from family members before making such determinations. He also called the practice "an abuse of power" and insisted it must be resisted "politically and legally." The SIR exercise is getting curiouser and curiouser While 65 lakh voters are in danger of being disenfranchised in Bihar, reports of "adding" 6.5 lakh persons as voters in Tamil Nadu is alarming and patently illegal Calling them "permanently migrated" is an insult to the… — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) August 3, 2025 Mr Chidambaram also took aim at a parallel development in Tamil Nadu, where reports suggest 6.5 lakh migrant workers are being added to the electoral rolls. The Congress MP alleged that these additions are being done under the pretext of "permanent migration," which he termed "alarming" and "patently illegal." "Calling them 'permanently migrated' is an insult to the migrant workers and a gross interference in the right of the electorate of Tamil Nadu to elect a government of its choice. Why should the migrant worker not return to Bihar (or his/her home state) to vote in the State Assembly election, as they usually do? Does not the migrant worker return to Bihar at the time of the Chhath puja festival?" Mr Chidambaram asked. Opposition parties have raised objections in both Houses of Parliament, alleging that the SIR is designed to "disenfranchise voters in Bihar" ahead of assembly polls. "A person to be enrolled as a voter must have a fixed and permanent legal home. The migrant worker has such a home in Bihar (or another state). How can he/she be enrolled as a voter in Tamil Nadu? If the migrant worker's family has a permanent home in Bihar and lives in Bihar, how can the migrant worker be considered as "permanently migrated" to Tamil Nadu?" Mr Chidambaram added. Among the many Opposition demands is an Assembly-segment-wise breakup of deleted voters in digital form, clarification on how many foreign nationals were previously included and whether they have now been removed, disclosure of how many enumeration forms lacked photographs or valid identification and an explanation of why Aadhaar and ration cards are being rejected as valid ID proof. "Every Indian has a right to live and work in any state where he has a permanent home. That is obvious and right," Mr Chidambaram wrote in a follow-up post. Every Indian has a right to live and work in any state where he has a permanent home. That is obvious and right How did the ECI come to the conclusion that several lakh persons, whose names are in the current electoral rolls of Bihar, must be excluded because they had… — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) August 3, 2025 A series of petitions challenging the SIR are currently pending before the Supreme Court. In an initial hearing, the top court has expressed concern over the possibility of "en masse exclusion" and has directed the Election Commission to include Aadhaar cards in its list of valid documents for verification purposes. The Election Commission has also had to contend with Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who recently alleged that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were rigged. Speaking at a Congress event, Mr Gandhi cited a party-led survey in a Karnataka constituency that reportedly found 1.5 lakh fake votes out of 6.5 lakh total. In a firm rebuttal, the poll body dismissed the claims as "unfounded and misleading." In a statement, the commission pointed out that electoral rolls had been shared with all political parties before the elections and were open to appeal under the Representation of the People Act. It noted that hardly any appeals were filed by the Congress across 36 states and union territories. The Commission criticised Gandhi's rhetoric as "irresponsible," adding, "It appears these unfounded allegations are intended to discredit the impartial and transparent work of election officials and exert undue pressure on the election machinery." It also confirmed that it had invited Mr Gandhi for a discussion on June 12, but had received no response. "He has neither met us nor submitted a single formal complaint," it said.
Mint
03-08-2025
- Politics
- Mint
P Chidambaram's BIG charge against Election Commission: ‘Abusing its powers and trying to change electoral character'
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday alleged that the Election Commission is trying to change the electoral character and patterns of states. The former Union Minister's allegation comes amid a raging row over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar Chidambaram asserted that this 'abuse of powers' must be fought politically and legally. The former home minister said the Bihar voter revision exercise is getting curiouser and curiouser. While 65 lakh voters are in danger of being disenfranchised in Bihar, reports of 'adding' 6.5 lakh persons as voters in Tamil Nadu is alarming and patently illegal, Chidambaram said in a post on X. "Calling them 'permanently migrated' is an insult to the migrant workers and a gross interference in the right of the electorate of Tamil Nadu to elect a government of its choice," the Rajya Sabha MP said. Why should the migrant worker not return to Bihar or his/her home state to vote in the State Assembly election, as they usually do, Chidambaram asked. "Does not the migrant worker return to Bihar at the time of the Chhath puja festival?" he said. "A person to be enrolled as a voter must have a fixed and permanent legal home. The migrant worker has such a home in Bihar (or another state). How can he/she be enrolled as a voter in Tamil Nadu?" Chidambaram said. If the migrant worker's family has a permanent home in Bihar and lives in Bihar, how can the migrant worker be considered as "permanently migrated" to Tamil Nadu, he further asked. "The ECI is abusing its powers and trying to change the electoral character and patterns of States. This abuse of powers must be fought politically and legally," Chidambaram said. The opposition has been protesting in both Houses of Parliament against the SIR, alleging the EC's exercise was aimed at "disenfranchising voters" in Bihar ahead of the Assembly elections. They have been demanding a discussion on the issue in both Houses of Parliament. Key Takeaways Concerns over the legitimacy of the Election Commission's voter roll revisions. Impact of migrant workers on electoral processes in their home states. The necessity for political and legal action against perceived electoral abuses.
