Kanwar Yatra Row: SC To Hear Plea Against Uttar Pradesh Govt's Shop Name Diktat

Lucknow: A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court by the NGO, Association of Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), challenging the latest diktat of the Uttar Pradesh government directing shop owners to display their names outside shops during the Kanwar Yatra. A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti is slated to hear the case on Monday.

About The Kanwar Yatra Row

The Uttar Pradesh Government on July 19 made it mandatory for food and beverage shops along Kanwar routes to display the name and identity of the operator/owner of their establishments. The decision has been criticized for being discriminatory towards Muslims and being a divisive step.

The petition comes against the backdrop of similar orders being issued in Ujjain and elsewhere. The Uttar Pradesh government, meanwhile, has announced special security arrangements to ensure uninhibited darshan for Lord Shiva’s devotees; the auspicious month of Sawan begins on Monday and will continue from July 22 till August 19. Large numbers of devotees are expected to travel with 'kanwars' to perform 'jalabhishek' of Lord Shiva during this period.

Actions Taken By Muslim Dhaba Owners

In a tizzy over the directive of the UP government to shopkeepers on the ‘Kanwariya’ route, some Muslim dhaba owners have temporarily handed over operations to Hindu employees, while others have temporarily laid off their Muslim workers. Some others, anticipating unrest, plan to keep their outlets closed during the yatra.

Gulzar, a dhaba owner in Khatauli, for instance, has handed over operations to Laxman Singh from Mathedi for ten days to avoid any trouble. Worker identification has been also initiated at the dhaba. Likewise, Lokesh Kumar from Sardhana, whose Sakshi Tourist Dhaba was run by Asif until recently, has taken over the operations himself. There are no minority community employees at the dhaba.

Vishwajit Chaudhary, owner of Shiva Tourist Punjabi Dhaba, stated that Mohammad Inaam from the village of Mujheda, who was running his dhaba, has left. Monu and Shoaib from Khatauli, who run SV Punjabi Dhaba, have put up flex boards with their names and plan to close their dhaba when the road closes during the Kanwar pilgrimage. Adil, owner of Prince Dhaba in Khatauli, has posted his name on the board and plans to close the dhaba before the Kanwariyas arrive.

Former councilor Israr Ahmed, who runs Veer Ji Dhaba in Khatauli, said he has put up a flex with his name and will close the dhaba until the Kanwar pilgrimage ends. The order on mandatory display of names of owners of eateries along the Kanwar route has heightened anxiety among shopkeepers in Muzaffarnagar, where the directive was first issued. Along the route, Muslim employees are being temporarily removed from dhabas until the pilgrimage ends. Many have voluntarily opted out.

For the past seven years, Brijesh Pal, a daily wage labourer, has worked at a roadside dhaba in Khatauli, Muzaffarnagar, during the two months of Shravan to help his Muslim employer manage the influx of Kanwariyas. He earned 400-600 rupees a day and received at least two meals a day. However, this year, his employer Mohammad Arslan asked him to look for another job as he could not afford additional staff, fearing a drop in earnings due to the government's orders.

Statement Of A Daily Wage Labourer

Pal said: "Finding other jobs is difficult right now because construction and agricultural work are minimal during the monsoon.’’

Small fruit vendors and dhaba owners fear that the government's decision will badly hit their earnings. Arslan, the dhaba owner, is concerned that Kanwariyas might not eat at his establishment due to his Muslim name.

"Like every third eatery on this route, mine is called Baba Ka Dhaba. More than half of my staffers are Hindu. We only serve vegetarian food and avoid using garlic and onions during Shravan."

The government's order has not only affected the income of Muslim owners and their employees but also the Muslim staff working in Hindu-owned eateries.

Animesh Tyagi, who owns a roadside eatery just outside the main market in Khatauli, said, "A Muslim person used to work on the tandoor in my restaurant. But I have asked him to leave because people might make an issue out of it. We don’t want such trouble here. This time, I have hired a Hindu person to work the tandoor."