The six-week Maha Kumbh Mela concluded on Wednesday with an Amrit Snan on the occasion of Mahashivratri on February 26, with over 66 crore people taking the holy dip over the course of the event. The number of devotees attending the largest religious congregations in the world has gone up over the decades, but there has been a steep rise this edition as compared to the last one in 2013.
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00:00Good evening, you're watching Super 6 here on India Today.
00:04I'm Akshita Anand Gopal.
00:06Thank you for joining us here over the next half hour.
00:08I'll be getting you all the latest updates that are coming in on the Mahakumbh.
00:13It's finally come to an end, a close with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today visiting
00:19Prayagraj.
00:20You also had a blog that Prime Minister Modi put out.
00:24I'm going to be giving you all of those details but also recapping for you the highs of the
00:29Mahakumbh, the politics of the Mahakumbh and unfortunately the lows too.
00:34Let's begin with the headlines.
00:41Mahakumbh concludes Prime Minister Modi pens blogs as not easy to organise such a massive
00:46event.
00:47Yogi takes part in Clean the Ganga initiative, announces big bonus for cleaning staff.
00:52DK Shivkumar faces Congress heat over Sadhguru Mahashivratri invite.
01:19DKS thanks Sadhguru, says he's grateful.
01:21Congress sees red, claims Sadhguru, mocks Rahul Gandhi and is an RSS ally.
01:33Suspended AAP MLA is blocked from entering Delhi, assembly complex, official side speakers,
01:38Director of Aatish versus cops showed on our denial of entry.
01:41Pune rape horror shocks India, 26-year-old raped on board bus, accused identified as
01:53history cheater and still on the run.
02:03And fact checks, Sam Petroda's claim of pornography played at IIT Ranchi.
02:09Petroda claims porn was played during IIT seminar.
02:12Government accuses Petroda of peddling fake news to malign reputed institutes as IIT Ranchi
02:18doesn't exist.
02:22Recently I was speaking at the Ranchi IIT and someone hacked in and started showing
02:27all the pornography and we had to turn it off.
02:32Is that democracy?
02:34Is that fair?
02:38And Oscar winning actor Gene Hackman wife Betsy and dog found dead in Mexico.
02:44Despite speculation police say they don't suspect any foul play yet.
02:59So the Maha Kumbh has come to an end, a festival of faith that spanned six weeks with crores
03:04of people driven by their Aastha touching down in Prayagraja in Uttar Pradesh.
03:10This has been a record breaking Kumbh.
03:13How?
03:14Well let's just take a look at the numbers that truly make this a Maha Kumbh, a grand
03:19Kumbh.
03:20Over 66 crore have taken the holy dip and expect that number to actually go up as people
03:26even with the Kumbh ending are still headed to Prayagraja.
03:29These numbers aren't updated with the last 24 hours so it's going to go up further and
03:33the Kumbh Mela has never attracted so many devotees.
03:35We have data to back that too and you look at this particular Kumbh data that we have
03:41in 1954 the first Kumbh post independence 50 lakh people attended, 1965 the number went
03:47up to 1 crore, 1977 it was 1.5 crores, 3 crore in 1989.
03:54In 2001 steadily went up 7 crore devotees visited Maha Kumbh.
03:59In the most recent Kumbh which was in 2013 that number is 12 crore.
04:03From 12 crore it's shot up to over 65 almost 66 crores this year in this Maha Kumbh which
04:10is why we're saying that this is a record breaking Kumbh.
04:14Let's also talk about what it's done for the economy in Prayagraja compared to past Kumbhs.
04:19In 2013 the government had spent 1017 crores, it created 12,000 crores as revenue so we'll
04:28mention the revenue figure also there you have it 12,000 crores is revenue.
04:33In 2019 the government spent 2000 crores so little more than the last time but again the
04:38revenue was much more was a whopping 1.2 lakh crores.
04:43This time the government spent about 1017 crores, the projected revenue is a massive
04:512 lakh crores so again this is why they've been saying that the Kumbh creates opportunities
04:57so we'll break that down for you as well.
04:59What about jobs?
05:00What about employment?
05:01About 8 lakh jobs have been generated because of the Kumbh in Prayagraja, we'll break that
05:07down for you.
05:08In tourism and hospitality in Prayagraja and nearby 3 lakh jobs were created.
05:14Then in transport services alone, rail, bus and private transport 1.5 lakh jobs were created.
05:21Over 2 lakh food vendors got opportunities because of the Kumbh and then finally in events
05:27and logistics management 1.5 lakh jobs were created all of this just because of the Kumbh
05:33being in Prayagraja.
05:34So overall with that data about 8 lakh people got employment opportunities.
05:40Over the next half hour we'll recap for you all the headlines that have emerged from Kumbh,
05:45the highs, the politics and the lows as well as you know the two stampedes that broke out
05:51when you talk about the lows but first let's tell you about Prime Minister Modi's blog
05:55on the Mahakumbh which was titled as Ekta Ka Mahakumbh, the dawn of a new era.
06:02Here are some excerpts of what the Prime Minister's message was in that blog.
06:32This was Ekta Ka Mahakumbh where the sentiments of 140 crore Indians converged at the same
06:44place at the same time for this sacred occasion.
06:51It was particularly heartening for me to see the overwhelming participation of India's
06:57youth.
06:59The presence of the younger generation at the Mahakumbh sends a profound message that
07:06the youth of India will be the torchbearers of our glorious culture and heritage.
07:14They understand their responsibility towards preserving it and are committed to carrying
07:21it forward.
07:24Nearly twice the population of the United States participated in this Ekta Ka Mahakumbh.
07:33If scholars of spirituality analyze the enthusiastic participation of crores of Indians, they will
07:41find that India, proud of its heritage, is now surging ahead with a newfound energy.
07:49I believe this is the dawn of a new era which will script the future of a new India.
07:58I know that organizing such a massive event was no easy task.
08:04I pray to Ma Ganga, Ma Yamuna and Ma Saraswati to forgive us in case there were any shortcomings
08:14in our devotion.
08:17I see Janata Janardhan, the people, as an embodiment of divinity.
08:24In case there has been any shortcoming in our efforts to serve them, I also seek the
08:30forgiveness of the people.
08:36So those were some of the highlights of the Prime Minister's message with the Mahakumbh
08:40coming to an end which he too had visited.
08:43And then you had Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
08:45These are images from today when he visited Prayagraj as a thanksgiving.
08:50He performed puja, kicked off a clean-up drive and then enjoyed also a meal with sanitation
08:56staff as a thanks to them for all the work that they have done.
08:59Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has spent the day in Prayagraj thanking the police officials,
09:04sanitation staff and everyone else.
09:07Here are some of the, in fact, highlights of what he said about the Mahakumbh.
09:46There is no such incident, about which anyone can say anything, even with the anti-Covid
09:55drone and even with a microscope, they are not able to reveal such incidents.
10:03On the day of Mauni Mahasya in Prayagraj, on the night of 28th and 29th, there was a
10:10tragic incident.
10:12There is sympathy for all those families and people, but, brothers and sisters, it was
10:18being done under the pretext of defaming the incident of Kaira, the incident of Karnamandu,
10:24the incident of some other place, by connecting it with Prayagraj.
10:32I think that the people of Janardhan, by pulling them out of one head, in the Mahakumbh of
10:40Karnamandu, by coming to the Mahakumbh, they have proved that, no, they will not come in
10:45your propaganda.
10:46The flag of Sanatana will never be lowered.
10:51Speaking of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, through the course of the Mahakumbh, CM Yogi
10:55has been defending his administration in the face of non-stop opposition attacks.
11:00Even today, Yogi Adityanath spoke about these opposition attacks, saying there was an attempt
11:04constantly to malign the Mahakumbh.
11:07Here is a glimpse of what he said and then we will talk about the politics.
11:37the Mahakumbh.
12:08So what really has led to this endless political back and forth over the Mahakumbh?
12:25Why has the opposition been up in arms over the Kumbh?
12:28From questioning the arrangements for the last many weeks for the people who have gathered
12:33at the Kumbh, to raising the two stampedes that broke out, which we will talk about in
12:37just a bit, and then even questioning the claims of this being a once in 144 years Mahakumbh,
12:43the opposition has raised several issues with the Kumbh.
12:47Here is a recap of what the opposition said.
13:03the Kumbh.
13:33the Kumbh.
14:03the Kumbh.
14:33the Kumbh.
15:03the Kumbh.
15:21So we have given you essentially just a glimpse into the kind of controversial comments that
15:25were made about Kumbh.
15:27Now many of these leaders themselves took a dip into the Mahakumbh, like Akhilesh Yadav,
15:32who visited the Mahakumbh and took a holy dip.
15:34Then there was D.K.
15:36Shivkumar, who not only took a holy dip, but also praised the Kumbh arrangements.
15:40And you also heard from several of these leaders when they went ahead and praised the Mahakumbh
15:48as well.
15:51Let's talk also about the controversy about Kumbh and the large influx of devotees.
16:01It was on Mauni Amavasya, the most auspicious day of Mahakumbh, that crores of devotees
16:06suddenly gathered at the Triveni Sangam to take a holy dip.
16:09This led to a deadly stampede.
16:1130 devotees lost their lives.
16:1360 people were left injured.
16:15Now according to officials, several devotees gathered near the Sangam nose and around 1am
16:19they tried to jump barricades, which were put up to manage these crowds.
16:23The government faced massive flak for the incident, particularly because for hours there
16:27was no update on the death toll.
16:29But around 6pm, a whole 15 hours later, did we get an update.
16:32And that is why the opposition says there was an attempt to cover up the incident.
16:36And then two weeks later, another stampede, this time at the New Delhi railway station.
16:41A sea of devotees waiting to board a special train to Prayagraj moved from one platform
16:47to another, leading to chaos and 18 people dying.
16:51And these incidents raised questions about the management of Kumbh, about whether these
16:56stampedes could have been avoided with better management of the crowd.
17:01Did the administration also try to cover up the stampedes by not giving out official figures
17:06until much later?
17:08Was there an attempt therefore to hide the casualty count?
17:12It is these questions that the opposition has been constantly asking, raising with in
17:17fact the government to say the Mahakum was not a success.
17:22Okay, away from these controversies, this Kumbh also was the first of its kind for using
17:28tech, for using AI, and of course being a Kumbh dominated by social media, video reels
17:34and memes.
17:35And so there were so many Babas who went viral for their rather unique looks.
17:39When I was at the Kumbh, I got a chance to interview so many of these Babas.
17:43Here are some of those voices.
17:46Can you work and do this?
17:49Yeah, obviously.
17:50But my work is this only.
17:53This is like you are working.
17:55And do this means what?
17:56That's what I'm saying.
17:57Why are you separating it two?
17:58So this is the basic principle in spirituality.
18:02Two, duality.
18:04So you separate it into two.
18:05Okay, this part and that part.
18:07But it's not this part and that part.
18:09Yeah, but it's not like this part or that part because this part led to that part.
18:14So you cannot separate it.
18:15Like, okay, yeah, this is the trigger point.
18:17Now the film has changed after interval.
18:20Now the character is different.
18:22It's not like that, no.
18:23Because the character was always in the making.
18:26Every decision that you take, obviously it affects the next decision.
18:48Bath also?
18:49Yes.
18:50Okay, no problem.
18:51Okay, in the third room?
18:52Yes, in the third room.
18:54Where do you stay?
18:55I was shooting with Shahid Kapoor.
19:00I go to sell garlands.
19:03People come to see me and say,
19:06I don't buy garlands to see you.
19:09So you don't buy?
19:10No, I don't.
19:11I wear glasses and still recognize you.
19:15Work is sacrifice.
19:16That's why karma is called yoga.
19:18Any work.
19:19You are sacrificing.
19:20You could relax with your friends,
19:21go for a movie in this cold climate.
19:23Otherwise you can sit at home,
19:25having mummy made hot potato,
19:28hot, hot, whatever it is.
19:29Otherwise order.
19:30What is it these days?
19:31You call and get money.
19:32All that you can do.
19:34But this is not sacrifice.
19:35This is not karma.
19:36You are trying to pass on what's happening.
19:39Collecting.
19:40Same thing we are doing.
19:41Nobody is big.
19:42Nobody is small.
19:43I have sacrificed everything
19:44and I have come here.
19:45Nobody is sacrificing anything.
19:48To you, Bharat,
19:50I could consider
19:52how the Indian religion is considered
19:57in Europe,
19:58maybe very colorful,
20:00very noisy.
20:03Bhajans.
20:04It is indeed.
20:05But if you go deeper in the scriptures,
20:07you will find pure logic,
20:09pure sense,
20:10and nothing like reading
20:14Adi Shankaracharya's books
20:16and teachings,
20:18the Upanishads,
20:19the Vedas.
20:21I found there was a proper sense in it.
20:26Speaking of Kumbh fluences,
20:28let's also recap for you
20:30all the celebrities
20:31who flew down to Prayagraj
20:32in the last many weeks
20:33to be a part of the Maha Kumbh.
20:36Here is a detailed report
20:37of all of the big film stars
20:39who were there
20:40at the Maha Kumbh
20:41to take a holy dip
20:42and then praised the administration
20:43for their efforts.
20:44With this,
20:45I'm slipping into a short break.
20:46We'll be right back here
20:47on Super 6.
21:01I am very fortunate
21:03that I could come here
21:04at this time.
21:05I am very happy.
21:09The energy here
21:10and the beauty
21:11and the significance
21:12of everything.
21:18The big actors
21:19are coming.
21:20Everyone is coming.
21:21This is called
21:22how the Maha Kumbh
21:23is being organized.
21:24This is very,
21:25very good.
21:40The battle lines
21:41are drawn
21:42over the national
21:43education policy
21:44between Tamil Nadu
21:45and the central government,
21:46particularly
21:47over the three-language policy
21:49that the scheme mentions.
21:50So what exactly
21:51is this three-language rule?
21:52Let's explain
21:53why there is a fight
21:54over this.
21:56The Stalin government
21:57in Tamil Nadu
21:58is being read
21:59over the national
22:00education policy again.
22:01They have refused
22:02to implement
22:03NEP in the state
22:04and this has been
22:05a controversy
22:06for the last many years.
22:07We'll tell you
22:08why the DM case
22:09against NEP
22:10in a bit.
22:11But first,
22:12let's get down
22:13to the basics
22:14and start off
22:15by answering
22:16what exactly
22:17is the national
22:18education policy.
22:19The NEP,
22:20the national
22:21education policy
22:22of India 2020
22:23was introduced
22:24by the union
22:25cabinet on 29th
22:26July 2020.
22:27This policy replaced
22:28the previous
22:29national policy
22:30on education
22:31of 1986
22:32and has brought
22:33in reforms
22:34at all levels
22:35of education.
22:36According to the government,
22:37NEP is based
22:38on five principles
22:39or guiding pillars.
22:40Access,
22:41equity,
22:42quality,
22:43affordability
22:44and accountability.
22:45Education,
22:46remember,
22:47is a state subject
22:48as per the constitution
22:49so the NEP
22:50has to be formally
22:51adopted by the states
22:52for it to become
22:53a reality
22:54because it falls
22:55under the concurrent list
22:56of states plus
22:57centre approval.
22:58The first state
22:59to have implemented
23:00NEP was Karnataka
23:01in 2021
23:02followed by
23:03Madhya Pradesh,
23:04Uttar Pradesh
23:05and several other states.
23:06But there are
23:07a handful of them
23:08who have refused
23:09also to implement NEP.
23:10Kerala,
23:11Tamil Nadu,
23:12Telangana,
23:13Bengal
23:14have refused
23:15to implement NEP.
23:16Interestingly,
23:17while Karnataka
23:18as I mentioned earlier
23:19was the first state
23:20to implement NEP,
23:21the change in power
23:22from a BJP
23:23to a congress government
23:24has meant
23:25that the state
23:26now has its own
23:27state education policy
23:28to override
23:29NEP.
23:30As for Bengal,
23:31Chief Minister
23:32Mamta
23:33had clearly opposed
23:34the national education policy
23:35and had set up
23:36an expert committee
23:37in the state
23:38to look into
23:39the provisions
23:40of the policy.
23:41Post that,
23:42some aspects
23:43of the NEP
23:44have been adopted,
23:45others ignored
23:46as Bengal too
23:47has created
23:48its own
23:49state education policy.
23:50Kerala
23:51has taken
23:52a similar step
23:53of having
23:54its own
23:55education policy
23:56that embraces
23:57some parts
23:58of the NEP
23:59and shoots down
24:00some aspects
24:01that they don't agree with.
24:02Now the reason
24:03that a state
24:04education policy
24:05has been
24:06implemented
24:07in Kerala
24:08is because
24:09of the
24:10three language
24:11rule.
24:12Essentially,
24:13a formula
24:14of English
24:15plus two
24:16regional languages.
24:17Currently,
24:18there's a two
24:19language policy
24:20in effect
24:21in Tamil Nadu.
24:22English
24:23plus one
24:24regional language.
24:25Now the
24:26Tamil Nadu
24:27government
24:28has claimed
24:29that the
24:30three language
24:31rule is an
24:32attempt
24:33to
24:34destroy
24:35the
24:36three
24:37regional
24:38languages.
24:39But
24:40the
24:41union
24:42education
24:43minister
24:44has
24:45refuted
24:46this
24:47claiming
24:48that the
24:49three
24:50language
24:51policy
24:52allows
24:53any
24:54two
24:55regional
24:56languages.
24:57So it
24:58can be
24:59Telugu,
25:00Malayalam,
25:01Kannada
25:03mention
25:04few
25:05imaginary
25:06concerns
25:07through
25:08that letters.
25:09Rejecting
25:10a student
25:11centric
25:12future
25:13focused
25:14policy
25:15is
25:16really
25:17regressive.
25:18Education
25:19should not
25:20be politicized.
25:21But the
25:22three language
25:23rule is
25:24nothing new.
25:25The
25:26formula was
25:27actually part
25:28of the
25:291968
25:30national
25:32policy
25:33resolution
25:34which
25:35provided
25:36Hindi,
25:37English
25:38and a
25:39modern
25:40Indian
25:41language.
25:42And
25:43Hindi,
25:44English
25:45and the
25:46regional
25:47language
25:48in the
25:49non
25:50Hindi
25:51speaking
25:52states.
25:53People
25:54in
25:55Tamil
25:56Nadu
25:57would
25:58study
25:59Hindi
26:00and
26:01the
26:02three
26:03language
26:04rule
26:05was
26:06reiterated
26:07to
26:08ensure
26:09its
26:10proper
26:11implementation
26:12this time
26:13around.
26:14This
26:15policy was
26:16devised in
26:171968
26:18after
26:19consulting
26:20all state
26:21chief
26:22ministers
26:23particularly
26:24because of
26:25the
26:26exact
26:27same
26:28controversy
26:29that
26:30the
26:31Indian
26:32language
26:33is
26:34only
26:35Hindi
26:36or
26:37Sanskrit.