Kanwar Yatra and QR Code

Hinduism is distinguished among India's religions for its extensive diversity. It advocates for universal brotherhood and the well-being of the universe, while equally respecting other faiths. Followers of Sanatan Dharma within Hinduism worship the saakar Brahma, whereas others worship the nirakar Brahma. Despite differing worship practices, there is a common belief that India is sacred, mainly because Hindu religious symbols and places of worship are situated in the Indian subcontinent. A similar situation exists for other religions originating in India, such as Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism. People of these religions regard their birthplace, India, as akin to heaven. Particularly in Hinduism, it is said, 'Janani Janma Bhoomischa, Swargadapi Gariyasi.' All Hindu pilgrimage sites and places of worship related to the Vedas and Puranas are located solely in the Indian subcontinent.

In Hinduism, time holds significant value. Indian culture suggests that each of the 12 months conveys a unique message, often expressed through proverbs and reflected in the festivals celebrated throughout the year. The month of Sawan is particularly emphasized among these. The festivals observed during Sawan illustrate the connection between Hinduism and nature. Worshipping Lord Shiva in the month of Sawan is considered to be a great meritorious act. The festivals celebrated in this month are directly related to rain. During this time, the followers of Hinduism not only have a special connection with worship but it also affects their food habits and clothing. Even their way of working. The month of Sawan is completely dedicated to Lord Shiva. Shiva or Shankar is considered to be the destroyer of the entire universe and is also called the balancer of nature.

Sawan month is an example of taking nature as a celebration. All the Mondays falling in this month are dedicated to Shankar ji. The scientific touch in this is that Sawan month allows man to eat only Satvik food. Hence, eating Tamasi food like meat, fish is prohibited in this month. Nature provides Amritphal (amrit fruit) like mango for vegetarian people. Hindus have a tradition of offering holy Gangajal to Lord Shiva in Sawan month. In present times, Hindu devotees fill Kanwar from Haridwar and bring Gangajal. Which they offer in Shiva temples of their respective places. It is obvious that Shiva devotees called Kanwariyas would prefer to eat only Satvik or vegetarian food on the way of their journey. Hence, if there is a meat-fish shop on the way, it should remain closed automatically for some time. This is where the original culture of world brotherhood of India should be awakened. The Constitution of India says that the aim of the governments should be to increase brotherhood among its people. But brotherhood should not be seen only on Hindu festivals, but also among people of other religions, especially Muslim citizens who follow Islam. Of course, India is a secular nation, but this does not mean that we start calling Hindu festivals communal and Muslim festivals secular.

Hinduism does not show narrow-mindedness at any level, rather it instructs to cooperate with other religions. For this, it is enough to say that when India was divided in 1947 and Pakistan was created separately for Muslims, India declared itself a secular nation, even though the population of Hindus in India was more than 80 percent. The simple conclusion can be easily drawn from this that Hindus are secular in themselves. How is it possible that the secularism of Hinduism does not affect its followers? The truth will remain that India is a secular nation because Hindus are in majority in it. But India is a country governed by the Constitution and the Constitution says that every person or citizen has the right to live according to his faith and religion. Since the Indian society is multi-religious, all people should make good efforts to increase brotherhood among themselves. In this context, the Yogi government of Uttar Pradesh has made it mandatory for the owners of food and drink shops on the route of Kanwar Yatra to put their QR code or sign outside the shop for making digital payments so that the travelers can know its real owner. But some people are finding communalism in this and have filed a petition in the Supreme Court. Hearing their petition filed against the QR code, the Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government and ordered to file its reply by next Tuesday.

Last year, the Yogi administration mandated that shop owners' names be displayed outside their stores, a directive later suspended by the Supreme Court. Currently, the focus is on QR codes. Petitioners claim the Yogi government is fostering communal division with this initiative. However, this assertion is unfounded because, legally, the Yogi government is simply requiring QR codes at shops to enable Kanwariya consumers to identify the shop owner, as the Consumer Protection Act entitles buyers to know the shop owner's identity. Kanwariyas have the right to ensure the food or snacks they consume adhere to purity standards. Therefore, displaying QR codes does not seem to breach any laws.