HARIDWAR: Uttarakhand authorities have mandated that shop owners along the kanwar yatra route display nameplates with their details. The directive, following a similar order in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, aims to “prevent any law and order issues” during the yatra, officials said.
Backing the directive, CM Pushkar Singh Dhami cited “past instances of shop owners using fake names”.He said, “It’s a good decision. Why would anyone hide their identity? The decision aims to create transparency and is not targeting any particular community or individual. This is a verification drive, not targeting any individual. If someone is working legitimately, why would they use a fake name? This could be to mislead others. Uttarakhand has always been a peaceful state, and transparency is crucial.”
The measure, implemented after a meeting on July 12, affects traders who gather in Haridwar at the start of the annual pilgrimage. During this pilgrimage, devotees purchase pitchers and palanquins to carry water from the Ganga and offer it to Lord Shiva at various temples.
Minority community traders from Haridwar, Meerut, Bijnor, and Muzaffarnagar sell yatra-related products during the 10-day kanwar mela market held at Pantdeep ground by the Haridwar Municipal Corporation. “The yatra season is our main source of income, and we hope it does not take a hit,” a Muslim trader said.
Mohd Rizwan, a trader and artisan from Meerut who has been selling kanwars for 15 years, said, “Until this year, we did not face any problem here, and many regular kanwariyas have become familiar with us. I don’t understand why the authorities made this decision, but we will follow the guidelines for conducting business. Whether our sales will be affected or not remains to be seen.”
The district administration in Haridwar claimed this was a “routine order” issued annually to ensure law and order. Haridwar DM Dheeraj Singh Garbyal stated, “Maintaining law and order is our biggest concern, and we took this decision in the wake of such potential issues.”
Backing the directive, CM Pushkar Singh Dhami cited “past instances of shop owners using fake names”.He said, “It’s a good decision. Why would anyone hide their identity? The decision aims to create transparency and is not targeting any particular community or individual. This is a verification drive, not targeting any individual. If someone is working legitimately, why would they use a fake name? This could be to mislead others. Uttarakhand has always been a peaceful state, and transparency is crucial.”
The measure, implemented after a meeting on July 12, affects traders who gather in Haridwar at the start of the annual pilgrimage. During this pilgrimage, devotees purchase pitchers and palanquins to carry water from the Ganga and offer it to Lord Shiva at various temples.
Minority community traders from Haridwar, Meerut, Bijnor, and Muzaffarnagar sell yatra-related products during the 10-day kanwar mela market held at Pantdeep ground by the Haridwar Municipal Corporation. “The yatra season is our main source of income, and we hope it does not take a hit,” a Muslim trader said.
Mohd Rizwan, a trader and artisan from Meerut who has been selling kanwars for 15 years, said, “Until this year, we did not face any problem here, and many regular kanwariyas have become familiar with us. I don’t understand why the authorities made this decision, but we will follow the guidelines for conducting business. Whether our sales will be affected or not remains to be seen.”
The district administration in Haridwar claimed this was a “routine order” issued annually to ensure law and order. Haridwar DM Dheeraj Singh Garbyal stated, “Maintaining law and order is our biggest concern, and we took this decision in the wake of such potential issues.”