Respect everyone’s choices

In Delhi, a big religious walk called the Kanwar Yatra is starting. Every year, lakhs (hundreds of thousands) of people take part in it and walk through the city. Some Delhi ministers are now saying that meat shops along these walking routes should be closed during the yatra.

But here’s the big question: Why?

Some ministers say many of these meat shops are “illegal.” But if they were illegal, why were they open before? And if they get shut now, will they open again once the yatra is over?

This reminds people of something that happened last year in other states like UP and Uttarakhand, where the government tried to force restaurants to show the owner’s name if they sold meat. That plan was stopped by the Supreme Court.

In India, people follow many different religions and eat many different kinds of food. The government is supposed to treat everyone equally — it should not make rules that support one group’s beliefs while ignoring others. Just because some people don’t eat meat for religious reasons doesn’t mean everyone has to stop.

Of course, in some holy towns like Tirumala or Pushkar, there are already rules against meat or alcohol — but those are places where religion is the main focus. Delhi is not one of those places. Delhi is India’s capital, and people from every religion and background live here.

Also, the Kanwar Yatra has been happening in Delhi for many years, and meat shops were never forced to shut before. So why now?

The most important thing to remember is: Respect everyone’s choices. What one person eats or believes should not be forced on someone else. That’s what fairness looks like in a country as diverse as India.

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