Muzaffarnagar: At Lucky Shuddh Bhojanalaya, a dhaba on the Delhi-Pauri highway in Muzaffarnagar district’s Mirapur — just 110 kilometers from Delhi — owner Gulshad Khan is engrossed in a discussion with Arvind Sharma about the eatery’s 10-12 day closure during the Kanwar Yatra.
Sharma is a salesperson and supplies food items to these roadside eateries. He claimed that six of the dhaba owners who are his customers are Muslims. If their dhabas remain closed, it will affect his business. Sharma underlined that one could understand if dhabas serving non-vegetarian food were asked to close down but it was wrong to include the “vegetarian dhabas,” he suggested. “Here, everyone works together.”
“What’s the use of closing down a Muslim dhaba?” Sharma questioned. “If you’re closing down those eateries that are selling meat, it is understandable. But what’s the point of closing down those who are selling pure vegetarian food?”
“He (Gulshad) is a Muslim but he is using a Hindu name. That’s wrong. He should use a Muslim name followed by ‘pure vegetarian’. Then there shouldn’t be a problem,” he added.
The administration has directed that dhabas in Muzaffarnagar be renamed to clearly identify their ownership or affiliation with specific communities. In the Kanwar Yatra, which has now become a mega event like Kumbh, more than two crore Kanwars walk to Haridwar to collect water from the Ganga to be offered at Shiva temples in their areas. The atmosphere in these dhabas is grim as both the employees and the dhaba owners are grief-stricken.
Khan underlined that out of 18 workers at his dhaba, 17 are Hindus. Besides, the milkman, the salesmen who bring chips or provide ration and vegetables are all Hindus. If the dhaba remains closed, their livelihood will be affected. A change of name will make them lose customers. “It is wrong and causing a rift in the society,” he said.
The story of changing the names of dhabas on the Kanwar route does not end here. This is not happening only on the Khatauli-Muzaffarnagar Kanwar route, but on every road leading to Haridwar.
Also read: Uttar Pradesh Districts Ask Eateries Along Kanwar Route to Display Names of Owners, Staff
Notably, Saharanpur, Shamli, Muzaffarnagar and Delhi-Pauri national highway are affected by such orders. Hundreds of dhaba owners and thousands of families associated with these businesses will be impacted. Everybody is miffed with this action, except big dhaba owners, restaurant owners, some leaders associated with fundamentalist Hindu organisations and the mastermind of this whole matter, Yashveer Maharaj, a Hindutva leader.
An entire business structure has been affected. The worst part is that this has been happening only for the past three years, even though the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Adityanath has been in power in the state for seven years. They have even intensified the activity this time which was not seen before. After investigating and speaking to people in these districts of western Uttar Pradesh, one realises that the BJP’s frustration arising out of the recent poll debacle and the rapid rise of businesses around highways such as roadside eateries and the intense competition among large and small business owners are the reasons behind these developments.
Where did it all start?
There is an ashram run by Yashveer on Shamli road in Baghra, Muzaffarnagar. When the Kanwar Yatra was resumed three years ago after the Covid-19 pandemic subsided, Yashveer handed over a list of more than 50 dhabas to the Muzaffarnagar police which bear Hindu names along with the sign ‘pure vegetarian’ and are owned by Muslims alleging that it confused Kanwar pilgrims during the Yatra.
Yashveer asked for these eateries to either be closed during the Kanwar Yatra or have their identity displayed in their name. He alleged that the religion of Kanwariyas got corrupted by eating food in the dhabas owned by Muslims.
Top police officials did not approve of this matter of religious discrimination and did not take it seriously. It miffed Yashveer and he staged a protest in Muzaffarnagar marred by a relay of hate-speeches. Amid the fear of deteriorating communal harmony, the matter reached Lucknow.
In 2022, all such dhabas were identified. A list of the dhaba owners and the employees working in them was prepared. In 2023, all the dhabas run by Muslim owners were closed without any written order. Going a step further this year, instructions are being issued to identify all kinds of shops owned by Muslims along the 230-kilometre long Kanwar route, in addition to dhabas.
Notably, the Muslim dhaba owners have been ordered to use Muslim names or keep the eateries closed. Additionally, the Hindu dhaba owners have been asked to grant leave to Muslim employees.
Even ration shops, fruits and vegetable vendors are asked to display their religious identity. This entire exercise has spoilt the social harmony of the area and the decision is facing severe criticism. In a way, it is being described as a campaign to boycott Muslims.
Undoubtedly, this move poses a huge threat to social harmony. In the last few years, the local administration has taken the help of a large number of Muslims to successfully organise the Kanwar Yatra in this Muslim-dominated area. The grandeur of the Yatra is continuously increasing. Last year more than two crore Kanwariyas did this Yatra. Out of these, more than one crore Kanwariyas have crossed the Meenakshi Chowk of Muzaffarnagar. The Meenakshi Chowk falls in the popular Khalapar area of Muzaffarnagar.
Local organisations like Paigaam-e-Insaniyat organised bhandaras (feasts) for kanwariyans every year. Photo: Aas Mohd Kaif
For the last ten years, many camps were set up offering service and hospitality to Kanwariyas passing through Meenakshi Chowk. Many local organisations like the Paigaam-e-Insaniyat, Awaaz-e-Haq and Secular Front organised bhandaras (free feast) every year at this chowk and served the Kanwariyas by even organising medical camps.
Similar camps, exclusively run by Muslims, were also set up in neighbouring Shamli, Saharanpur and Khatauli over the years. Hundreds of Muslim youth, social workers and public representatives used to assist the administration as volunteers during the Yatra.
Asif Rahi, Dilshad Pehelwan, Gauhar Siddiqui, Mehboob Ali, Sattar Mansoori, Umar Ahmed of Muzaffarnagar have been doing this for more than a decade. Ahmed, an advocate and resident of Kidwai Nagar, expressed his concern over the recent turn of events and said that it was not right. Such activities will only disrupt harmony, he suggested.
Ahmed said that he has served Kanwariyas with his own hands, given them medicine and bandaged their wounds. He added that he has fed them fruits and food in the past. “Now, the atmosphere that is being created is trying to make villains out of one community. What if someone is caught in the middle of Kanwar Yatra clad in a burqa or donning a cap? That’s our only fear. The only order left to be issued is for Muslims to not come out of their houses as long as the Kanwar Yatra is going on.”
Confluence of employment between the Muslim and Hindu society
Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar and Bijnor are the main routes to Haridwar. There are thousands of dhabas on this route. Incidentally, the dhabas owned by Muslims have workers and other service providers belonging to the Hindu community and vice versa. Lakhs of people are associated with this business.
In the present circumstances, the administration has created a complicated situation due to which all the dhaba owners are facing a financial crisis. In Muzaffarnagar and Khatauli, some Hindu dhaba owners have been forced to grant leave to their Muslim workers, leaving them feeling helpless and constrained. While those working under Muslim dhaba owners are also feeling helpless because they have been rendered jobless.
Pawan Kumar, who works at Lucky Shuddh Bhojanalaya on the Delhi-Pauri road, said that he has been working at the eatery as a cook for the last 18 years. He has four children. He used to eagerly wait for the Kanwar Yatra every year because it brought more customers.
“Earlier, the police used to ask only to put up a rate list. The owner of my dhaba is a Muslim and I never had any problem with him. I have been working at the same dhaba for 18 years. If the dhaba is shut for 15 days, my financial condition will worsen. My children are studying in a good school. I make enough money in these 15 days to meet expenses for an entire year,” Kumar said.
Kumar believes that displaying names to mark the religious identity of dhabas is wrong too. “Can they ask Hindus to wear tilak only to be identified? This is wrong. Thousands of Hindu people are involved in businesses run by Muslims. They are snatching their livelihood that way. What kind of policy is it?”
“We are the ones who do the work. They (the Muslims) are the owners. What can we do if our employers are not Hindu?” Pawan asked.
Regarding Hindus and Muslims working alongside each other, he said, “There is no rivalry here. People belonging to both the communities work together.”
Pawan suggested that he has never faced any discrimination or felt any awkwardness owing to his religious identity. “Our employer doesn’t even eat meat in front of us.”
Pawan Kumar works at an eatery, which is owned by a Muslim, on the Delhi-Pauri road since the last 18 years. Photo: Aas Mohd Kaif
On the question of harassment of Muslim dhaba owners, he said, “It is absolutely wrong. It causes trouble for everyone. Our livelihood is snatched from us. We work hard to earn a day’s meal. We also need to pay the instalment of bank loan. If we do not work, we will have to borrow another loan.”
Experts believe that there is an intentional political conspiracy behind the campaign.
It is believed that the complaint filed by Yashveer is the reason why this action has been taken. However, he has been stoking this issue since 2018. When the police administration had been ignoring him for years, what happened suddenly that it leapt into action? Experts claim that the reason is purely political.
The BJP has been wiped out from Saharanpur division and the party does not have an MP in Saharanpur, Kairana and Muzaffarnagar Lok Sabha seats anymore. Not only this, the Congress party has now won the Manglaur assembly seat adjacent to Haridwar. The BJP narrowly escaped defeat in Meerut. The plug has been pulled on the life support of the BJP from this area of western Uttar Pradesh after the 2013 riots. Senior advocate and Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Pramod Tyagi of Muzaffarnagar says that the BJP is not at ease with the social fabric getting stronger. Their political presence has been nullified in western Uttar Pradesh.
“They lost the elections and now feel that the effect of the poison of hatred has decreased a bit. That is why they are increasing the dose,” he opined.
Similarly, SP leader Rakesh Sharma said, “I am telling you with full confidence that the BJP and its people will get a drubbing in this matter too in Muzaffarnagar. I am a Hindu. I feel this is wrong. Sympathy is getting generated for Muslims in our society.”
Rakesh added that the Kanwar Yatra is being politicised. “One can understand if they close the shops of non-vegetarian food. But to identify and mark a Muslim’s shop selling fruits is wrong. I feel that big restaurant and dhaba owners have hatched this conspiracy by stoking communal hatred so that they can earn more profit.”
Uttar Pradesh police giving instructions to local business owners on the rules to be followed during the Kanwar Yatra in Muzaffarnagar. Photo: Aas Mohd Kaif
According to Muzaffarnagar senior superintendent of police Abhishek Singh, such a decision has been taken so that the law and order situation is not affected. “There should not be any confusion among the Kanwariyas. Many times the Kanwariyas have disputes regarding food and drink. Any Kanwayriya can buy from any shop he wishes and the police administration is going to create no hindrance. This decision of writing the name has been taken voluntarily.”
Ajay Kumar Sahni, deputy inspector general of the neighbouring Saharanpur district, reiterated the same. He also said that the priority of the administration is to ensure a safe Kanwar Yatra. Meanwhile, the police held meetings with roadside vendors and instructed them to display their names on a plaque.
Aas Mohd Kaif is an independent journalist based in Uttar Pradesh.
