Name diktat controversy in contrast to thread of harmony that binds Kanwar Yatra
While Hindu businessmen control the trade of items such as specially designed t-shirts, shirts, shorts, backpacks, wallets and stoles, their production is almost entirely in the hands of Muslims, who cut, stitch and package clothing material.
The Kanwar Yatra has been more than a religious event in western Uttar Pradesh where it weaves a fabric of harmony through the medium of trade and gives the local people an additional source of income. This history of amity is in stark contrast to the controversy over the directive for displaying names of owners and staff members of eateries, shops and food carts along the Kanwar Yatra routes, on which the Supreme Court has now passed an interim stay.
While Hindu businessmen control the trade of items such as specially designed t-shirts, shirts, shorts, backpacks, wallets and stoles, their production is almost entirely in the hands of Muslims, who cut, stitch and package clothing material.
Hundreds of Muslim families in Noor Basti, Khata Khera and Zafar Nawaz localities of Saharanpur are associated with the stitching work for decades, said Sajid, who is among the many Muslims involved in stitching work in Nai Basti locality.
“It’s also very pious work and gives us pleasure that somehow we were indirectly helping our Hindu brothers in celebrating the yatra,” he added.
He explained thousands of Muslim families are involved in stitching, cutting and packaging Kanwariyas’ clothes and Hindu traders provide them with raw material almost three months before the yatra.
Sajid emphasized that they take care of the sanctity of the work during the process of making the items.
Rajeev Goel, patron of the Hiran Mahran Ekta Vyapar Mandal, said producing clothes and other items for Kanwaryias is a cottage industry in the old city of Saharanpur and fosters Hindu- Muslim unity.
Hiran Mahran Market in the old city area of Saharanpur is the largest wholesale market for these items.
“They (Muslims) do the work in their homes and their whole family actively participates in the process. Therefore, they are able to do the stitch work for merely ₹5 to 7 per t-shirt, which a Hindu worker can’t manage,” said Amit Sachdeva, a treasurer of the Hiran Mahran Ekta Vyapar Mandal, who has been in this business for many years.
“Saharanpur alone does business to the tune of ₹30 crore to ₹35 crore, producing and selling t- shirts and other items during the yatra every year,” Sachdeva added.
“We work day and night to complete the work,” Sajid said, adding that he stitches over 500 t-shirts and shorts daily to complete the order on time.
Echoing similar views, Sachdeva said, “Expert hands of tailors turn cloth into t-shirts, shirts, shorts of different designs and sizes.”
He also said it is the low-price items that are in demand and traders keep this aspect in mind.
“The retail price of these items including shirts, backpacks and moneybags is between ₹50 and 120,” the traders said.
Tripura in the Northeast is biggest supplier of stoles (“gamcha”) used by almost every Kanwariya during the yatra. Stoles were earlier made in Meerut and Pilakhua too until a few years ago but they are no more produced there because of high cost of threads and less earning.
Elsewhere, Panipat in Haryana is biggest centre for supplying saffron, black, blue, yellow and orange cloth (thaan) with pictures of Mahakaal and Lord Shiva printed on them, Sachdeva said.
Khushnawaz Ansari of Meerut Weavers’ Welfare Association said t-shirts and other clothing items are also imported from Bangladesh, the second largest producer of readymade garments after China.
“Many importers in Delhi and elsewhere place imports and supply these items ahead of the Kanwar Yatra,” Khushnawaz said.
Meanwhile, Rajeev Goel and Amit Sachdeva expressed concern over the “displaying of names” controversy (though the Supreme Court has now passed an interim stay order.)
“It will have an adverse effect on business,” they said, adding , “Many roadside vendors who used to sell items for Kanwariyas may avoid doing business in order stay away from problems.”
“It would affect the trade because these vendors used to do good business on both sides of the highways and other Kanwar routes,” Sachdeva said.