India: Top Court Blocks Govt Order to Divide Eateries by Religion

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Facts

  • India's Supreme Court has ordered an interim block on the directives issued by two Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states requiring eateries along a Hindu pilgrimage route to display their owners' names.1
  • Issuing notices to Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand state administrations, the court ordered eateries to display the kind of food they were serving to the pilgrims.2
  • During the fifth month of the Hindu calendar, devotees undertake the Kanwar Yatra pilgrimage on foot, carrying the Ganges River's waters on their shoulders to offer at Lord Shiva temples.3
  • The two states, run by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party, had said that the directive to display the owners' names was intended to ensure the purity of the pilgrims' faith.3
  • However, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday that eateries 'must not be forced' to display the names and identities of owners.4

Sources: 1BBC News, 2The Indian Express, 3Al Jazeera and 4The Straits Times.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by India Today. The directive for eateries to display their owners' names was to ensure that the devotees were served vegetarian food. It's wrong for Muslims to hide their identity and use Hindu names to serve non-vegetarian dishes or a meal full of onion and garlic to pious pilgrims, potentially interfering with dietary and cultural practices.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Daily Mail. This is India's version of South Africa's Apartheid and Germany's Judenboycott. The directive aims to prevent Hindu pilgrims from purchasing food from Muslim-owned establishments, enforcing religious segregation. Such policies fuel religious discrimination and increase hate crimes against the Muslim minority, reflecting growing tensions under India's Hindu-nationalist government.
  • Narrative C, as provided by The Wire. The eateries rule impacts both Hindus and Muslims badly. While Muslims suffer a direct loss of livelihood, Hindu-run businesses also see their business plummet when Muslim-owned eateries close down. The policy has created financial strain and social discord, disrupting religious harmony.

Predictions