Lockdown: Jain monks seek easing of travel norms for Chaturmas

Jain monks, who have set out on foot for the annual Chaturmas festival, which is held in July, have approached Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray seeking easing of travel restrictions amid the COVID-19 lockdown. In a memorandum to the Chief Minister, general secretary of the state Congress Committee president Suman Agarwal put forth the requirements of hundreds of sadhus and sadhvis who walk barefoot to different states for the annual festival, a release stated.

In the release, Agarwal said she has sought proper arrangements for sadhus and sadhvis during their travel, which starts one month before the start of the Chaturmas fast. In fact, several of them had already started walking along on the highways in the state and would be covering the distance to Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, among other states on foot, she said.

She has urged the chief minister to provide protection and help from the police and ease travel restrictions for them during the lockdown..