Directives To Eateries Proactive Measure To Ensure Peaceful Kanwar Yatra: Yogi Government To Supreme Court

The Yogi Adityanath government has strongly defended its directives to eateries along the Kanwar Yatra routes in Uttar Pradesh to display owners' names in the Supreme Court.

The UP government told the apex Court that that the directives were issued to ensure that the religious sentiments of Kanwariyas aren't hurt, even accidentally, and to ensure peace and tranquillity.

In a detailed submission to the Supreme Court, the state government said the directive was issued in response to complaints received from Kanwariyas regarding confusion caused by the names of the shops and eateries.

“It may be noted that the idea behind the directives is transparency and informed choice of the consumer/Kanwaria regarding the food they eat during the period of the Yatra, keeping in mind their religious sentiments so that they don't, even accidently, fall foul of their beliefs. Such situations would obviously lead to flare ups where lakhs and crores of people are walking barefoot carrying holy water,” the reply stated.

The Kanwar Yatra, an annual pilgrimage where devotees of Lord Shiva, known as Kanwariyas, travel to fetch holy water from the Ganges River, sees millions of participants each year. 

The UP government claimed that the directive was introduced in response to specific complaints from Kanwariyas.

Pilgrims had allegedly raised concerns about the food being served along the route, which led to apprehensions regarding its preparation in line with religious practices.

The Yogi government's affidavit has also asserted that these directions are not discriminatory as they uniformly apply to all food sellers along the Kanwar Yatra route, irrespective of their religious or community affiliations.

“That the directives are also aimed at ensuring public safety and order during the Kanwar Yatra, given the large number of participants and the potential for communal tensions, it is imperative to take preventive measures that ensure a peaceful and harmonious pilgrimage. Past incidents have shown that misunderstandings regarding the type of food being sold have led to tensions and disturbances. The directives are a proactive measure to avoid such situations," the affidavit said, Livelaw reported.

Earlier on 22 July, the Supreme Court had stayed the directions to the eateries saying that the food sellers “must not be forced to display the names/identities of owners.”

In its reply, the state government has also stated that even small confusions regarding the kind of food Kanwariyas are served, has the potential to hurt their religious sentiments. Further, it can cause flare ups, especially in a communally sensitive area like Muzaffarnagar.

Additionally, the UP government has justified its directives by stating that they align with the fundamental duties outlined in Article 51A of the Constitution, which calls upon every citizen to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood among all people of India.

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