Dhaba staff laid off as owners fear backlash from Kanwariyas

Kanwariyas walk past shops on which banners with shopkeepers’ name were put up. Pic/PTI

For the past seven years, Brijesh Pal, a daily wager, would work at a roadside dhaba in Khatauli area of Muzaffarnagar during the two months of Shravan to help his Muslim owner manage the heavy footfall of customers, mainly the Kanwariyas.

He would get Rs 400-600 and at least two meals every day for the job. This year, however, his employer, Mohammad Arsalan, asked him to look for other jobs as he cannot afford to hire extra staff, expecting that his earnings will take a hit due to the Uttar Pradesh government's orders to owners of hotels, restaurants, food carts and eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display the names of their owners at their outlets.

A banner with shopkeeper's name being put up on a shop. Pic/PTI

After the Muzaffarnagar Police issued the order, the Uttar Pradesh government on Friday extended the controversial order across the state. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said similar instructions are already in place in his state as well.

The order has snowballed into a controversy with opposition parties, civil society and even some ruling alliance leaders criticising it.

"It was a good source of income as finding other jobs in this season is very difficult because construction and farm work don't happen much in the monsoon season where I could get a job as a labourer," Pal told PTI.

"I joined the ‘dhaba' a week ago but now the owner has asked me to look for work elsewhere," he said. Small fruit vendors and dhabas fear their earnings will be severely hit by the move. Arsalan, the owner of the dhaba, said he fears that Kanwariyas will not eat at his place due to his Muslim name.

RLD chief calls for rollback

Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary demanded the UP govt roll back its order, saying the pilgrimage does not belong to any one religion or caste. "It seems that the order was taken without much thought and the government is adamant on it because the decision has been taken," the Rajya Sabha member told reporters here.

Now, Ujjain mandates shop owner details

BJP-ruled Ujjain civic body directed shop owners to display their names and mobile numbers outside their establishments, a directive coming on the heels of a similar order by BJP govt in UP for eateries along Kanwar Yatra route. Violators will have to pay a R2,000 fine for first offence and R5,000 if they defy this order for the second time, Ujjain Mayor Mukesh Tatwal said on Saturday.

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