The UP government gives Rs 1 lakh to each district for special events – including recitation of Akhand Ramayana on Navratri. The programs are to be organized in every block and all the preparations need to be completed by March 21. While the separation of state and religion as supported by the Constitution has been at the core of the secular ideal, these norms have been questioned in the North. State. Year after year, the Kanwar yatris have been garlanded by everyone from political leaders to police officers. Petals have been showered on them from the helicopter. This is not a debate on the importance of Hindu religious festivals. It is more about whether this is being done to push the idea of a Hindu Rashtra ahead of the elections, something that is contrary to India’s core identity.