If a person is prevented from entering a sterilised area in a hospital, would that be ‘untouchability’? There are SOPs that prevail in all human activity that need to be followed for the collective good. This applies also to religious activities. It is important for Kanwar yatris to adhere to certain protocols for them to feel the pilgrimage is complete. This includes consumption of vegetarian food. It is also a pilgrimage when emotions run high. Only recently, Ganga water being carried by a pilgrim was spilled in a minor accident. The police had to send for fresh Ganga water to quieten down sentiments.
If anything goes wrong, the blame falls on the local police and administration. All the ‘pseudo-secular, want-to-be-seen as liberal, politically correct’ persons, who are so eager to take on the cause of ‘minorities’ against easy to target Hinduism, immediately disassociate themselves from the incident. The so-called diktat that dhabha and restaurant owners on the Yatra route, irrespective of religious identity, should display their names outside their establishments is meant to ensure there is required transparency and no scope for misunderstandings. This is because there have been incidents in the past, minor in the normal course, that have become disproportionately sensitive during the yatra, such as serving dishes containing onion and garlic out of ignorance of norms. Signboards put up to attract pilgrims sometimes prove misleading as other kinds of food are also served in the establishment.
And why do the ‘secular’ lot believe that the Hindus will discriminate against Muslims when partaking of food? Or, that Muslims have a problem with making themselves known as owners of the eateries? There is no fundamental right to misrepresent oneself by putting up misleading signboards. In fact, Muslim owned establishments on the yatra route have not only swiftly put up the required information, but also proactively made other changes to meet the yatris’ requirements. Don’t those objecting think that there will be Congress and SP supporters on the pilgrimage who will be ‘secular’ in their dietary choices? Or do they believe all Hindus are communal?
It is strange that those demanding data clarity in all matters, including the caste identity of journalists attending Rahul Gandhi’s press conferences, should get all het up just because eatery owners – Hindus and Muslims – are asked to make known their identity. Politicisation of such sensitive matters creates problems that otherwise do not exist.
