Kanwar Yatra Nameplate: The Uttar Pradesh government’s directive requiring operators of food stores, tea booths, and fruit carts to display nameplates during the Kanwar Yatra has caused divisions among the ruling National Democratic Alliance. The move is unlawful and divisive, and allies of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) are pushing the UP administration to rethink it.
The sole ally of the BJP in western Uttar Pradesh, the RLD, has a state president named Ramashish Rai, who called the move “communally divisive and unconstitutional”. “The UP administration must withdraw the decision asking street vendors to display their names on their stalls,” he wrote in a tweet.
In Uttar Pradesh, the RLD has nine MLAs, two of them are Muslims. According to Bijnor RLD MP Chandan Chauhan, all social groups in society are interconnected. He added that Chaudhary Charan Singh, the party’s patron, opposed dividing communities. According to RLD general secretary Trilok Tyagi, if the government truly cares about the yatra’s sanctity, it ought to close all alcoholic beverage establishments during the event.
Opposing societal division
JD(U) general secretary KC Tyagi disagreed with the state government, stating that although Jharkhand and Bihar have significant Kanwar Yatras, no such order is in effect there. “This goes against the way that Prime Minister Modi has described Indian society and his ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vichar’ idea. He stated, “It would be beneficial if the Uttar Pradesh administration gave it some thought. From western Uttar Pradesh, the senior Samajwadi leader is from. He has previously stated that Muslims had consistently offered assistance to those performing the Kanwar Yatra.
The LJP president and union minister Chirag Paswan disagreed with the Uttar Pradesh police’s recommendation as well. He declared that he would “never support or encourage” any kind of discrimination based on caste or religion in an interview with a news agency.
Following the UP government’s order, senior BJP politician Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi modified his opinion. A day earlier, he had claimed that the Muzaffarnagar police order encouraged the plague of untouchability. “The prior arrangement caused confusion since it was limited. As long as the order honors the beliefs of the believers, I don’t see any issues. It shouldn’t have a shared hue,” he said.
Contaminate people’s minds
In Muzaffarnagar, shop and stall owners have taken to posting their phone numbers and names on banners. Enjoy Cafe’s owner, Mohammad Phoolbahar said to reporters that he had been requested by the authorities to write the owner’s name in Hindi on the banner. He forewarned that this would affect business, cause discord in the community, and contaminate people’s minds. Brotherhood is going to be impacted. Orders from the government are regarded seriously. The government has wanted us to expose our identities because they believe there is a problem with us.
Owner of Sakshi Tourist Dhaba on Khatauli bypass Lokesh Bharti said he has received a request from the authorities to write his name and phone number on a banner and to fire Muslim employees who disobey the order. “For the time being, I have removed four Muslim employees. He remarked, “I feel bad for them because they won’t have a job for 15 to 20 days.
For the previous four years, Kanwariyas have been visiting the food store owned by Mohammad Khalil. “Since we offer packaged goods, there is no chance of jeopardizing its sacredness. We now have to pause even before extending a chair,” he remarked.
The Kanwar Yatra will begin on Monday, July 22 and end on Friday, August 2.