SKM welcomed the SC Decision to Halt Display Names of Owners on Eateries

SKM strongly protested against the Government Order issued by the BJP led State Governments of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand to order all eateries along the Kanwar Yathra to display the names of the owners to identify their religion. SKM apprehends that such Display of Names of owners will make commercial establishments of minorities easy targets to RSS/BJP’s communal game plan.

The order has been issued obviously to discriminate in selecting the shop owners based on religion. It is a grave violation of the Constitution of India, Article 15 (1) that prohibits discrimination against any citizen on the basis of religion, race, sex or place of birth and also Article 14 that provides equality before the law or equal protection within the territory of India and prohibits the unreasonable discrimination between persons. As per Article 15(2), the State shall not discriminate against any citizens “access to shops, public restaurants, hotels and places of public entertainment”.

SKM welcomed the Supreme Court decision to put a stay on the order and expects to ensure no potential threats to the Constitutional principles and strict action against those who violated the Constitution. This immediate action by the SC in the correct direction will sensitise every citizen of India to be vigilant against those in the power but determined to sabotage and destroy the Constitutional principles of democracy, secularism, fraternity and to extinguish the national unity of India, a multinational country that is united based on the respect and equal treatment of the diversity in belief, language, tradition and culture.

Rattled in the Lok Sabha elections by the peoples’ anger against the communal politics of RSS and unsuccessful attempt of the BJP to drown the people’s voice under the cacophony of Ram Mandir, the BJP Governments in both the States are desperately trying to polarize the religious Yathra and society at large. SKM boldly underlines that the common people in Hindi heartland has always observed all religious festivals, like Eid, Dussehra, Kanwar Yathras, Janmashtami with secular fervour, gaiety and composite participation and they will not take kindly to this rabidly communal rhetoric of BJP-RSS combine.

Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand have enjoyed and cherished a composite culture of all religions from time in memorial, which has been on display not only during the 1857 struggle against the British, but also during the recent farmers’ struggle. In fact the massive gathering of more than 5 lakh farmers at Muzaffarnagar on September 5, 2021 was held under the appeal for “Har Har Mahadev, Allah-o-Akbar ”. In fact, the Colonial British rulers began organized religious polarization and inflamed communal divisions to sustain their rule of feudal-Imperialist exploitation and now in modern India, the RSS BJP combine is continuing that nefarious design to serve the Corporate loot of farmers, workers and the common people.

SKM considers the order as treason against the national unity and strongly demands apology of the Chief Ministers and Governors of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The bureaucrats who have surrendered to the rabid communal conspiracy and prepared and signed such an anti-national order must be punished severely so that it will become a lesson for all those perverted minds still in the government service.

SKM appeals to all its constituent organisations to oppose this divisive plan of the BJP and to make concerted effort to build a movement on demands of SKM at the village level. The NCC and General Body of the SKM will plan concrete action campaigns across India to rally the people in protection of the national unity and the Constitutional principles of India and isolate the rabidly communal ideology of RSS-BJP combine.