In a submission before the Supreme Court on July 25, the UP government firmly defended its order on display of owners’ names on eateries along the Kanwar yatra route stating that it was issued to ensure a peaceful and orderly pilgrimage maintaining its sanctity.  

Om Shrivastava | HENB | New Delhi | July 26. 2024:: The Supreme Court on July 26 continued its interim order of staying directives issued by the state governments of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand that eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route should display the names of the owners outside their shops prominently. The apex court was hearing pleas by TMC MP Mahua Moitra and others challenging the directives.

But, the Supreme Court also said shopkeepers along the Kanwar Yatra route could voluntarily display the names of its owners and employees outside its premises.

The Supreme Court said the stay order would continue till August 5, the next hearing date. The court asked the Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh governments to file their responses in a week.

In a submission before the Supreme Court on July 25, the Uttar Pradesh government firmly defended its order on display of owners’ names on eateries along the Kanwar yatra route, while opposing the petitions challenging its directive stating that it was issued to ensure a peaceful and orderly pilgrimage maintaining its sanctity.

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

During the hearing, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Uttar Pradesh, said rules under the Food and Safety Standards Act require every food seller to display the names of the owners.

To this, the court said, “Then let it be enforced all across the state… not only in certain areas. File a counter showing it has been enforced all over.”

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Trinamool Congress’s Mahua Moitra, said there was no mandate to display the names of shop owners during the Kanwar Yatra in the last 60 years. He said there was no harm in allowing the yatra this year without the enforcement of such rules.

The Uttar Pradesh government said that the purpose behind the directive was to maintain transparency during the Kanwar Yatra and to inform consumers/Kanwariyas about the food they consume during the journey. These instructions were given keeping in mind the religious sentiments of the Kanwariyas so that they do not accidentally eat something that is against their beliefs.

“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,” it said.

The state government in its affidavit added that the order doesn’t impose any ban on business of food sellers, barring restrictions on sale of non-veg food, and shopkeepers are “free to conduct their business as usual”.

The UP government said in its statement that the Kanwar Yatra is a difficult journey, in which some Kanwariyas, who bring Dak Kanwars, do not even stop for rest after placing the Kanwar on their shoulders. The Kanwar Yatra has some sacred features, such as the Kanwar filled with holy Gangajal is not to be kept on the ground nor in the shade of a  tree. It is also worth noting that the Kanwariyas set out on the journey after many years of preparation. The Uttar Pradesh government said that the orders related to the nameplate were given after the complaints of the Kanwariyas, in which the Kanwariyas had expressed concern over the purity of the food served during the journey.

Complaints were received regarding the preparation of food in accordance with religious practices. After which orders were given to shopkeepers to install nameplates on the Kanwar routes. It is worth noting that the Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage where devotees of Lord Shiva, known as Kanwariyas, travel to bring holy water from the river Ganga. Every year lakhs of people participate in the Kanwar Yatra.

The directive to display the names of owners is “merely an additional measure” to ensure transparency and keep any potential confusion at bay.

In its submission, the state government also stated that even “small confusions” related to the food that the Kanwariyas are served has the potential to “hurt their religious sentiments and can lead to flare-ups, especially in a communally sensitive region like Muzaffarnagar.

“It is imperative to take preventive measures that ensure a peaceful and harmonious pilgrimage,” the state government informed the top court.

On July 22, the Supreme Court issued an interim order on the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government’s diktat making the display of owners’ name on eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route mandatory. The directive was stayed till July 26.

Postscript: Hindus can remember what happened in Sabarimala Case in the Supreme Court. Now, the entire Hindu Samaj are seeing what is happening in the appex court on the matter of Kanwar Yatra. Hindus must count the derogation and vilifivation of Hindu sentiments in Indian polity and judiciary. Days will come to retaliate and the sinner will be perished.  Har Har Mahadev. Jai Mahakaal. 
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__Inputs from Business Today, India Today and Times Now.