Jewellery traders’ associations in Chhattisgarh and Indore in Madhya Pradesh have decided to restrict entry into jewellery shops for anyone wearing a burqa, niqab, or any face covering that conceals identity, days after similar steps were taken in Bihar.
The decision, taken after emergency meetings of traders’ bodies, is being implemented across major jewellery markets and has sparked a wider debate on security, religious freedom, and intent.
Traders have said the move is driven by concerns over rising incidents of theft, fraud, and robbery in which the accused entered shops with their faces covered, making identification difficult.
In Chhattisgarh, jewellery traders’ association president Kamal Soni cited a recent robbery in the Rajim-Gobra-Nawapara area, where masked suspects left police with little usable CCTV footage. He said jewellery shops deal in high-value items and require visible identification to protect businesses and staff. Traders have maintained that the restriction is not aimed at any particular community but is focused on security.
Political reactions followed quickly.
The Congress said traders have the right to safeguard their establishments, but should ensure that religious freedoms are not violated. Views within the Muslim community have also been divided. Community representative Tahir Khan said traders are free to decide entry rules and customers are free to shop elsewhere.
Former police officer and Muslim affairs expert Shoaib Ahmed Khan criticised the framing of the decision, saying that naming specific religious attire rather than banning all face coverings makes it appear non-neutral.
In Indore’s Sarafa Bazaar, the restriction has been issued as an advisory, with women requested to briefly remove face coverings for identification. Traders said the advisory applies to anyone whose face is not visible.