UP kanwar yatra order goes against spirit of ‘sabka saath’
- Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar
- TNNUpdated: Jul 21, 2024, 20:13 IST IST
That kanwariyas might unknowingly eat at a Muslim-owned shop is apparently so frightful a prospect for pilgrims that every shop must be forced to display names in order to reveal Muslim owners. Shops that fail to do so can be shut down. Given the state govt’s past records with bulldozer demolitions, this is no idle threat
Kanwarias are Shiv worshippers who go to Gangotri and Haridwar to fetch Ganga water to take home to their local Shiv temples. This pilgrimage has been growing in popularity over the years and now attracts as many as 12 million kanwarias.
This year, along with the annual blocking of several roads, the Uttar Pradesh govt has issued a directive to all shopkeepers on the kanwaria routes to paste their names on their shops. The aim, a police officer explained, was to “avoid any confusion” in the minds of kanwariyas.
This year, along with the annual blocking of several roads, the Uttar Pradesh govt has issued a directive to all shopkeepers on the kanwaria routes to paste their names on their shops. The aim, a police officer explained, was to “avoid any confusion” in the minds of kanwariyas.