Sawan, the beloved month of Lord Shankar, begins from July 11. The Kavad Yatra will begin with the onset of Sawan. In the Kandar Yatra, Shiva devotees take a long distance in the hand and go to Shivling or Jyotirlinga and anoint them with the water of holy rivers.
There is a tradition of taking out a large -scale Kavad Yatra in Uttar Pradesh. The great form of Kavad Yatra is seen in western Uttar Pradesh. Kanwar travelers carrying Kavad from Haridwar leave this route. There are many big ancient and famous temples of Lord Shiva on this route. Here Shradavalu performs Jalabhishek of God. Devotees take out the Kanwar Yatra by taking Ganga water from this route in Shiva temples from Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Meerut to Ghaziabad, Hapur. But even before the Kavad Yatra starts, tension has increased on the Kavad Yatra route in western Uttar Pradesh.
Also read this: Kanwar Yatra 2025: Strict instructions of Dhami government, food license at shop in Kawad Yatra route required, otherwise a fine of 2 lakhs will be paid
In fact, Swami Yashveer Maharaj, the operator of Yoga Sadhana Ashram in Baghra village of Muzaffarnagar district and pracharak of Sanatan Dharma, Yashveer Maharaj has been demanding a name plates on shops and dhabas on Kawad Marg for the last few years. He says that some people on Kavad Marg are cheating Shiva devotees by running dhabas and shops in the name of Hindu deities. After several cases of cheating by hiding identity, the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments issued orders last year that the dhabas, hotels, restaurants, shopkeepers, khomchers of Kawad-Yatra will put clear name plaque. The government’s intent is that the faith and reverence of the kanvadis should not be fragmented. This order was stayed by the Supreme Court. However, this year also the governments of UP and Uttarakhand have issued orders like last year.
The latest episode is that Swami Yashveer Maharaj and Hinduist organization activists reached Pandit Vaishno Dhaba on Delhi-Doon Highway on Kavad Marg. In fact, the dhaba was of Muslim, but it was written on the board-‘Pandit’s pure Vaishno dhaba’. That is, the crime of hiding identity was committed. Pandit Vaishno Dhaba runs a Muslim person named Sanvwar. Two other people including his son Adil and Zubair also work in this dhaba.
It is being said that Yashveer Maharaj and others took pants to check the religious identity of the owners and employees of the dhaba. The dispute was fought from here. Putting ghee in the fire, former Samajwadi Party MP ST Hasan worked to connect the identity case with the Pahalgam terror attack. Hasan said, “I want to ask whether ordinary citizens have the right to take off a shopkeeper’s pants and check?” Did the terrorists not take pants in Pahalgam? What is the difference between the terrorists who do this and the terrorists of Pahalgam? ”
Whether or not this incident happened at that dhaba, the police is investigating it. But the case was given ‘communal turn’. Pahalgam was a well -planned terrorist act. Comparing both these events is not only factually wrong, but it is also an attempt to create tension on religious grounds in the society.
And as far as the identity is concerned is to hide or cheat, this business has been going on for a long time. In July 2021, two such Muslim shopkeepers were detected in Ghaziabad who were running a shop called Hindu. Among them, a shop is in the old vegetable market, named ‘New Aggarwal Paneer Bhandar’. Manzoor Ali is the owner of this shop. The second shop is in the name of ‘Lalaji Paneer Bhandar’. Its owner is Tahir Hussain. Both of them said that by keeping a Hindu name, customers make less inquiries and the business goes well. That is, they were cheating Hindus for the business. Their pole was opened when some people came to know that their GST number is in their real name. When local shopkeepers opposed them, these people have changed the names of their shops.
Last year, when orders were issued to install name plates at the time of Kavad Yatra, there was a lot of uproar. At that time, there was a big discussion from social media to newspapers and news channels, how the ‘Sangam Pure Vegetarian Hotel’ of Muzaffarnagar became ‘Salim Dhaba’ due to an order. ‘Maa Bhavani Juice Corner’ became ‘Faheem Juice Center.’ ‘Tea Point’ became ‘Ahmed Tea Stall’. Mohammad Fazal Ahmed turned out to be the owner of ‘Neelam Sweets’. Mohammad Qamar Alam is the owner of ‘Anmol Cold Drinks’. A board has been installed outside Khatauli’s ‘Chital Grand’, on which it is written- Shariq Rana Director. Mohammad Anas Siddiqui is the owner of ‘Janata Vaishno Dhaba’ running in Saharanpur. Wasim Ahmed, a resident of Bajhedi village in Muzaffarnagar, sold his ‘Ganpati’ dhaba after last year.
According to a report, there are more than 20 dhabas on the Dehradun-Nainital highway, which are named after Hindu deities, but are Muslims who run them. There are also Hindu names on Chidiyapur and Sameerpur Gang Canal Road on Haridwar Najibabad Road, whose owners are Muslims. There are dozens of such dhabas on Meerut, Gajraula, Garhmukteshwar, Munda Pandey highway, whose owners are Muslims.
According to media reports, these people also keep pictures of Hindu deities inside the hotel to cheat, so that Hindu travelers feel that they are eating in a Hindu hotel. But when a customer pays online, then it is known that the owner is a Muslim. People working in these dhabas and hotels are like Raju, Vicky, Guddu, Sonu. These people also apply tilak and also tie Kalava. What is this cheating? Tajmul, who works at Pandit Vaishno Dhaba of Muzaffarnagar, described himself as Gopal. The case of going to the account named Gulfam from a scanner at Gupta Chaat Bhandar in Haridwar has come to light in the past.
The important question is whether there is any strength or conspiracy behind doing business by hiding identity? What is the problem for a Muslim person to open a shop or dhaba in his name? According to their respective religion, people will open a shop by writing their names or do business, then the customer will go to the shop on their own will and from where he will buy, he will buy from there. But doing business or any other work by hiding identity is law and morally wrong and crime. After such incidents and episodes come to light, there is an atmosphere of doubt and mistrust. Which creates problems on the social, political and law and order front.
When it comes to eating and drinking, the matter becomes serious and sensitive. Behind food has the background and role of personal interest, rituals, religious work and faith. There is no doubt that no one is hurt by the order of the name plate of governance and administration. The Food Safety Act 2006 has a clear provision that catering shopkeepers will have to put their food license in a place where it can be easily seen.
Anyway, this issue is directly associated with emotions and customer rights rather than Hindu-Muslim, religious discrimination or livelihood. How do crores of Kawandis who go to their destination by taking Ganga water from Haridwar, how did they all get food on the way? What kind of food should they eat? This is their freedom. When a Muslim buys goods only after seeing the Halal certificate, then why can a Hindu not do this too!
– Dr. Ashish Vashistha
(freelance journalist)