Kanwar Route Nameplate Controversy: The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered to display the names of the owners on the shops on this route during the Kanwar Yatra. There is a political uproar over this decision. However, the logic behind this order is that the Kanwariyas should know the name of the shopkeeper from whom they are buying food items. Know why opposition parties are opposing this decision.
Highlights
- A controversy broke out over an order of the UP government
- Shopkeepers on the Kanwar route will have to tell their names
- What will happen to BJP’s ‘Sabka Saath’ spirit?
- Discussion on Yogi Adityanath government’s order
Kanwariyas are worshippers of Shiva who travel to Gangotri and Haridwar to collect Ganga water and take it to their local Shiva temples. The yatra has grown in popularity over the years and now attracts 12 million kanwariyas. This year, along with closing several roads, the Uttar Pradesh government has directed all shopkeepers on the kanwariyas’ routes to paste their names on their shops. A police official said the aim is to prevent “any confusion” in the minds of kanwariyas. And what is this confusion? The government is worried that kanwariyas may inadvertently end up eating food at a Muslim shop. That’s why Kanwar Yatra It is mandatory to display names of shops on the route to show whether the owner is a Muslim or a Hindu. Shops that do not comply may be shut down. Given the state government’s past record of demolitions using bulldozers, this is not an idle threat.
Why questions were raised on the decision of UP government
The Constitution says that India is a state where there can be no discrimination on the basis of religion, caste, sex or place of birth. It also guarantees the right of any Indian to start a business anywhere. The Hindu saints of Haridwar have huge political influence, but never before has the state government made a rule that excludes non-Hindus from running shops on the hundreds of kilometres long Kanwariya routes.
I don’t like the accusations by hard-core liberals that the BJP is Hitlerian. Still, I must agree with liberal friends that the UP government’s recent directive has unfortunate similarities with the marking of Jewish shops. This led to the infamous ‘Kristallnacht’ on November 9, 1938, when Nazi vigilantes attacked Jewish shops across Germany, breaking shop windows and looting goods. This was the beginning of Hitler’s ‘Final Solution’.
What will happen if the shop is identified by religion?
Once every shop in UP is identified by religion, it will be ostracised. It will become a symbol of attacks by vigilantes. Swami Yashvir, head of the Baghra Ashram in Muzaffarnagar, says Muslims who use Hindu names or names and photos of Hindu deities on their shops are trying to mislead customers. he/she has held a press conference, warning all Muslim shopkeepers to follow the new directive or face consequences. he/she says that if the state government does not take action within seven days against those who do not put their names on shops, he/she and his/her followers will ensure that such shops are closed. he/she further declared that such action is necessary not only during the procession of Kanwariyas but always.
Violation of constitutional norms
Such statements and threats are a violation of constitutional norms. In a true secular state, governments arrest those making such speeches or at least warn them not to do so. But in UP, this order has already been implemented and name boards have been put up on food shops and hawkers. The notion that a religious group has a right to own a business seems absurd.
These big companies are in the hands of a Muslim family
Himalaya Drug Company, now renamed Himalaya Wellness Company, is a multinational company. It has branches all over the world and is the largest exporter of Indian Ayurvedic medicines. It is run by a Muslim family, Manal. Yusuf Hamied not only made Cipla famous but also made anti-HIV drugs available at very low rates compared to Western multinationals. The price of this drug is about one-tenth of the price of other drugs. Another Muslim group, Khorakiwala, runs Wockhardt, a top Indian pharmaceutical company. Can extremists demand that companies be forced to put the names of their Muslim owners on all their products so that Hindus do not face religious ‘pollution’ by buying their medicines?
Understand how a decision of UP CM Yogi led to rift in NDA
What will happen to BJP’s ‘Sabka Saath-Sabka Vikas’
Because of the reputation of Christian missionary schools, India has been flooded with schools with names like St John’s School or Mother Mary’s Convent School. Many of these are owned by Hindus. Should they be forced to close down because they might mislead Christians or for that matter people of Hindu faith into thinking they are run by Christians? The Taj Mahal is a magnificent Muslim mausoleum. The Tata Group has adopted its name as a brand. It produces Taj Mahal tea and runs a chain of Taj Mahal hotels. Should every tea stall and hotel declare that its owners are Parsis? Muslims take out processions on Muharram. Should all Hindu shopkeepers on the Muharram route be forced to affix their names on shops ‘to avoid confusion’? Should similar rules apply to Christian processions on Easter? The BJP’s slogan is ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’. This slogan should also apply to all religious processions and events.
