Kanwar Yatra: The BJP's Divisive Tactics Have Reached a New Low

It is encouraging that nearly all political parties have vocally condemned this segregation by two BJP governments.

In UP and Uttarakhand, the government recently ordered all shopkeepers to display their names prominently on the signboards of their business establishments—a blatant attempt to add fuel to the fire. They have also been asked to declare, and display, the names of their employees.

The rationale given to defend this order sounds innocuous and innocent. Authorities and BJP leaders say this is being done to ensure that the kanwariyas are not confused while buying provisions, especially food items, which would violate the rules of their holy conduct stipulated for the Kanwar Yatra. One of the main elements of this sacred conduct is keeping away from 'non-vegetarian' food. They say that there is nothing wrong in respecting the right of the Kanwar Yatris to maintain a vegetarian diet (indeed, nothing wrong, it's their choice), which in their view is synonymous with Satwik Aahar.

This is the month of Sawan, considered holy by the devotees of Shiva across India. In this period, devotees take water from a river, preferably the Ganga, and offer the holy water to a shrine of Shiva which is famous in their areas. I belong to Deoghar, a town in Jharkhand famous for its Shiv temple. Since my childhood, I have seen devotees from all parts of the state and even from outside travelling to Sultanganj, taking the holy Ganga Jal and undertaking on foot a Kanwar Yatra to offer this holy water to Shiva residing in the temple of Deoghar. Such yatras take place everywhere in India in different forms.

The governments of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand have taken it upon themselves to ensure that the holiness of the yatra and yatris remain intact. To do so, the UP government ordered all meat shops to be closed in the month of Sawan. One fails to understand how these shops were interfering with the holy conduct of the yatris. They were not forcing them to buy and eat meat. Is the argument that their very existence defiles the holy route of the yatra? This order is enforced. Thousands of people involved in this business, as well as those dependent on them, are robbed of their livelihood. No one asks how they will live this month. From where would they buy food for their families?

These questions were raised, but the BJP remained unmoved. Taking away the livelihood of Muslims under the pretext of preserving the holiness of Hindus is a new low.

Muslims do not sell only meat. They also have shops and eateries, dhabas and hotels which offer vegetarian food as well. They employ Hindus and are also employed by Hindus. A new strategy was needed to take away their livelihood. It was argued that some people (read Muslim) mask their identities. Yatris then do business with them not knowing who they are. Later they realize that they were duped by the 'false' identity and manipulated to buy food or other items from a 'wrong' person or place. How can they trust these people who hide their identities? They have surely mixed non-vegetarian items in the food sold to them. It violates their holy conduct and destroys the very purpose of the yatra.

The authorities claim that, in the past, 'some people' deliberately created this confusion. Who could these people be but Muslims? Why should fellow Hindus want to defile the devotees of Shiv? It must be part of a conspiracy of Muslims who are always looking for ways to corrupt or pollute Hindus. Whether by taking their women, or feeding them beef or non-vegetarian food, they cannot be trusted. The best thing is to keep away from them entirely.

How can one keep away from someone when their identity is ‘concealed?’ Their name needs to be pronounced. It does not matter who they are, but rather, what they are. Those who do not want to buy from or eat at places owned by Muslims (since their habits are corrupt and it will pollute the Hindus), would be saved from confusion, and their sacredness will remain intact.

The idea is to encourage Hindus not to do business with Muslims. Along with the order, full-scale propaganda has been launched that Muslims mix 'unholy' stuff in the food they sell. "Can you trust that the utensils they use are 'sacred?’" These narratives feed into the long-held prejudice in the minds of common Hindus that Muslims do such things.  There are still Hindus who do not eat at Muslim-run places.

If the objective is to segregate vegetarian and non-vegetarian, one could have simply asked establishments to make it clear. A Muslim can also run a 'Shuddha Shakahari Bhojnalay' and Hindus can, and do, serve "Mansaharee Bhojan". Moreover, the government has already, even if unjustly, banned 'non-vegetarian food' from being sold.

Journalist Alishan Jafri has rightly asked, "Meat is already (and wrongly) not allowed on Kanwar routes. So, what is the intent of this exercise if not the racialisation of certain sellers? I can name my son Ram and you can name your child Mohammad. Who the hell is the government to tell me what to do with my life?"

Is a Muslim allowed to name herself Sita or not? If one names his child Ram Mohammad Singh, is he trying to hide his identity? Can a name mislead in order to infiltrate the Hindu population and lead them into taboo relationships and associations? Because it is not only love but also food that brings us together.

We have already seen reports of Muslim employees being asked to leave by Hindu employers. The police do not protect their rights, instead, they force the employers to oust their Muslim employees against their wishes. But no one can complain. Under which law is the police allowed to do this? The intent was never to protect the sanctity of the yatris. Or, are we being told that the touch of Muslims contaminates everything as they are non-vegetarians?

The main objective of the BJP is that Hindus and Muslims should not be allowed to mix. They cannot be in proximity of any kind. Additionally, they aim to disempower Muslims: by restraining their economic activities, and asking Hindus not to do business with them.

Muslims are being disempowered culturally. With this order of identity declaration, the UP government has also banned Halal certification. It has no logic. Again, Alishan Jafri explains it clearly, “Halal/Pure veg/Satvik is limited to the nature of food and not exactly on the identity of seller/vendor. Muslims buy  Halal food items from Hindu businesses. Clean water is Halal. All fruits are Halal. Many Muslims eat at ‘pure veg Hindu dhabas’ to avoid Haram.”

Muslims care if what they are eating is Halal or not. However, they do not ask who is selling the meat. A Hindu can sell a halal-certified item. Hindus are not forced to buy it. It is displayed on the merchandise. Where is any violation of their rights?  By disallowing halal certification, the rights of Muslims are being violated. Can you disallow a Jew to ask for Kosher certification? It would be a clear violation of their rights. We know the true objective is to encourage an economic boycott of Muslims. It would also be easier to attack them when it is known where they are.

This drive is only a small part of the BJP’s larger agenda to manufacture a Hindu who is, by nature, sceptical of Muslims. To tell them that they cannot have anything in common. That their interests are mutually antagonistic. This is what the chief propagandist of the BJP, who unfortunately is also the PM of the country, tried to do in his campaign during the recently held elections for the 18 Lok Sabha. The main plank of his campaign was Hindu interests versus Muslim interests.

Despite Modi being rejected by crores of Hindus, the BJP has not given up. It keeps looking for occasions, and opportunities, to tell Hindus that Muslims cannot be trusted. Kanwar Yatra is one such occasion. My friends in Uttar Pradesh say that this cynical drive by the BJP is not going to bring Hindus into its fold. They have seen through its design. One hopes that they are right.

Irrespective of what Hindus do, one cannot ignore the fact that the lives of Muslims are already affected by this order. They are losing jobs and livelihoods. Additionally, they are being made vulnerable to physical attack under any pretext. It is encouraging that nearly all political parties have vocally condemned this move of segregation. Since it is an assault on the constitutional idea of a collective and shared society, one hopes that the Supreme Court rises to the occasion, without waiting for any appeal, and reverses this injustice.

(The writer teaches at Delhi University. He tweets @Apoorvanand__. This is an opinion article and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for them.)