Now, Haridwar police issue decree for names of owners of Kanwar route eateries

Close on the heels of a similar decree in Uttar Pradesh, the Haridwar police have now issued directives to display names of owners of vendors, eateries, fruit sellers on the route of the annual Kanwar yatra.

Haridwar senior superintendent of police Pramendra Dobhal on Friday told HT that general instructions have been given out to all such vendors, eateries, dhabas, restaurants and hotel owners to display the names of the proprietors outside their outlets or establishments.

“With millions of people arriving for the yatra, to avoid any disputes, general instructions have been given to ensure that the name of proprietors along with QR code is clearly displayed by vendors, eateries, restaurants, fruit sellers during the Kanwar pilgrimage, which will start from July 22,” Dobhal said.

Along with displaying the name of the proprietor, the police have also asked owners of eateries to not serve non-vegetarian food, garlic-onion infused food, alcohol, along with displaying QR code for UPI payments.

The Shravan Kanwar pilgrimage will begin on July 22 and conclude on August 2 on Sawan Shivratri. This year, over 45 to 50 million pilgrims are expected to visit Uttarakhand during the yatra, according to officials.

Also Read:Adityanath orders mandatory mentioning of names on Kanwar route eateries

According to Kanwar Mela administration officials in 2023, around 40 million Lord Shiva devotees had gathered in the state to fetch the scared ‘Ganga Jal’.

Meanwhile, Opposition parties have sharply reacted to the Haridwar police administration’s instruction of displaying of full name of traders and vendors along the Kanwar route.

“It’s a new India in the making, where voters are stopped after knowing their caste (referring to recent Manglaur bypoll violence) and traders are being marked for their caste or other identities. For decades, the Kanwar pilgrimage has been going on peacefully with people from all religions living with harmony in Uttarakhand... We hope the Ganga-Jamuni culture and brotherhood doesn’t get affected by such decisions,” Manglaur Congress MLA Qazi Nizamuddin said.

Samajwadi Party national general secretary Satya Narayan Sachan also questioned the instructions and called it a deliberate attempt to create distance between Kanwariyas and people from the minority community.

Local priests and seers have, however, welcomed the directives.

The Ganga Sabha, which manages the affairs of Brahmakund Har-ki-Pauri, said, “Whether it’s displaying the proprietor’s name or non-serving of garlic-onion infused food, such small steps avoid major inconvenience and disputes during the sacred yatra. The verification process of vendors is the same as the ongoing tenant verification process in the state. So why not make it mandatory not only during Kanwar but in other major fairs also like Kumbh too.”