The Supreme Court on Monday stayed orders by the state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Madhya Pradesh to display the names of the owners of eateries operating on the routes through which Shiva devotees pass during the Kanwar yatra in the month of Shravana. Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), a non-governmental organization, Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra, and Delhi University teacher and writer Pafa Apurvanand approached the Supreme Court against BJP administrations' diabolical move to disclose identity and isolate shops belonging to Muslims. Considering their pleas, a two-member bench of Justice Rishikesh Roy and Justice S.V.N. Bhatti rejected the states' proposal and issued an interim order.
The Supreme Court issued a notice to the three states seeking their response. The matter will be heard further on July 26. Last Friday, the UP government issued a strange directive that eateries operating along the routes through which the Kanwar yatra passes should publish the names of their owners. The reason given by the UP government was that this was to facilitate the Kanwar Yatra with ease and to preserve the sanctity of the pilgrims. The sale of halal products on the pilgrimage route is also prohibited. As the police stepped in to enforce the order, decades-old restaurants and tea shops started changing their name plates overnight. As opposition arose from various quarters, alleging that this was a planned move to ostracize a group by classifying people on the basis of community, the UP government softened its stand, saying that the matter was 'left to the freedom of the people'.
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Sravana is the fifth month of Panchanga, the lunisolar Hindu calendar. At the beginning of this month, Shiva devotees collect water from the river Ganges from Haridwar in Uttarakhand, Gaumukh Gangotri in Bihar, and Sultanganj in Bihar and offer it to Shiva temples in their home states. It is also offered in Ogarnath in Meerut and Kashi Vishwanath and Vaidyanath temples in Devagarh. This year, the Kanwar Yatra is scheduled to be held from July 22 to August 2. The shops that provide food and drink to the people along the routes of this pilgrimage have been functioning properly and happily all this time, following all the rules of the pilgrims such as fasting and so on. According to the representation of various sects on the Kanwar yatra route, both Hindu owners and Muslim employees as well as Muslim owners and Hindu employees have been carrying out their duties to provide food and comfort to the pilgrims. It is also the livelihood for a large percentage of people in these areas. It should be remembered here that eight lakh informal jobs have been lost between 2016 and 2023 in UP alone.
Yogi Adityanath government's move of division came when people were looking for a way of life in the private and unorganized sectors and spread darkness in front of those who were expecting work and life in the Kanwar Yatra sector. The decision, which has always been said to avoid confusion, has already spread enough confusion on channels and social media. The only similar story the world has seen before happened in Nazi Germany where all Jews were required to display a Star of David outside their shops. Community kitchens called langars are provided by Muslims to serve food to Hindu devotees on the Amarnath pilgrimage in Kashmir along the way. Pilgrims are carried on dollies by Muslim youths. This is a picture of beautiful India.
The believers share virtue and prayer, a great land that provides food and shelter to pilgrims and sadhus regardless of caste or religion. There is an attempt by the interested parties to create distrust and alienation among the people. The people of UP clearly said in a resounding voice in the general elections that they would not be party to that. Still, Yogi and the likes of him do not want to let go of hatred. In the all-party meeting convened by the Centre ahead of the annual session of the Parliament, the BJP's allies came forward against the new decision. The Supreme Court has put a stop to the divisive move on Monday.
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The religious beliefs for the month are that one should not turn away the poor who come to the door empty-handed and should not abuse anyone during the month of Shravana; avoid anger and foul words in speech; practice solemn fasting and not just abstain from negative thoughts but it is even forbidden to wear black clothes as it is a sign of that. The rituals of this month are sacred to devotees. When Sangh Parivar taints such a tradition with bigotry, discrimination, and ostracism, that is treason against the people of India.