Renowned lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar has always been vocal about various topics. On Thursday, July 18, the screenwriter took to platform X and shared a tweet about instructions issued by the Muzaffarnagar UP police. These instructions mandate that all shops, restaurants, and vehicles display the eatery owners' names prominently during the Kanwar Yatra.
In the post, he wrote, "Muzaffarnagar UP police has given instructions that on the route of a particular religious procession in the near future, all shops, restaurants, and even vehicles should show the name of the owner prominently and clearly. Why? In Nazi Germany, they used to mark specific shops and houses."
What Is Kanwar Yatra?
The Kanwar Yatra is done by the devotees of Shiva every year for 28 days at the places like Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Ajgaibinath, Sultanganj in Bhagalpur, Bihar to fetch holy waters of Ganges River. This year, the Kanwar Yatra will began in UP from July, 22, 2024.
Netizens React
Javed drew a comparison between this directive and practices in Nazi Germany, where specific marks were placed on particular Jewish shops and houses & was seen as racial profiling & discrimination .
His tweet has sparked significant debate on social media, with users discussing its impact on community relations and individual freedoms. Several users commented on their views. One user wrote, "It is a preemptive measure to ensure a certain Abdul doesn't sell food to Kanwariyas that wasn't prepared as per Hindu rituals. Just like Halal certification is needed for Muslims."
Another user commented, "Mandating to declare Halal certification for food is okay with you, sir?"
The user continued, "Muslims won't eat non-halal food. That's their choice. But why force the same halal food on Hindus? Eating satvik food is their choice. Also, when the community is infamous for things like these, one has to be more careful."
On July 18, the Muzaffarnagar UP Police instructed hotels, dhabas, and other food-selling establishments along the Kanwar Yatra route in the district to display the names of their owners and staff to avoid confusion among devotees.
According to a report in the Times of India earlier this month, Muzaffarnagar’s BJP MLA Kapil Dev Aggarwal made a controversial statement. He said that Muslims should not name their shops after Hindu deities during the yatra, as Kanwariyas (devotees) inquire about the owner of the shop.
On July 1, UP CM Yogi Adityanath banned the sale of meat along the Kanwar Yatra route as a mark of respect for Kanwariyas.
