Image Source: Business Today
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev has publicly endorsed the latest Uttar Pradesh government directive that ordered restaurants on the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners' names and addresses. The move, which has caused a stir in the nation, is a step towards making the annual pilgrimage more transparent and accountable.
Key Highlights:
Support for Transparency
Baba Ramdev stated that it is immoral in all religious and ethical terms to conduct business by concealing one's identity. He stated that one should be open and shopkeepers should not conceal their names and identity, irrespective of their religion.
Pride in Identity:
Ramdev asserted to be proud to be a Hindu and 'Sanatani', and asked Muslims to be proud of their culture too, as several of their ancestors were Hindus. He asserted that there is no need of Muslim businessmen to hide their names during the Kanwar Yatra.
Option for Devotees:
He argued that it is up to the customer to decide where they eat, and that advertising ownership gives the customers the freedom to make a well-informed choice.
Wider Social Commentary:
Ramdev also referred to recent Maharashtra language controversies and denounced attacks against Hindi speakers and called for respect for all Indian languages. He warned that cracks along language, caste, or sect lines harm national unity and the Sanatan Dharma spirit.
Political and Social Debate:
The order has been greeted with biting criticism from opposition parties, which say the move is to target Muslim-owned stores. But the UP government and its allies like Ramdev say the move is about transparency, not discrimination. Authorities clarified that the display of the owner's name is a voluntary exercise to facilitate pilgrims and provide security, and not to bifurcate on religious lines.
Public Responses:
The row has also triggered a broader debate on identity, corporate ethics, and community harmony, with many public personalities calling for "humanity" as the only necessary nameplate, while others call for disclosure. Baba Ramdev's comments have lent immense gravity to the debate, asking every community to accept their identity freely and coexist as one.
Source: Economic Times, Udayavani, Devdiscourse, Deccan Herald, NDTV
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