Targeted for Serving Tea: How Kanwar Yatra Has Become a Symbol of Hindu Supremacy

In this episode of Unraveled, Marvi Sirmed comments on the disturbing rise in anti-Muslim violence during the Kanwar Yatra in India. From Muzaffarnagar to Haridwar, reports of Muslims being harassed, assaulted, and publicly humiliated for simply running eateries or serving food to pilgrims have surfaced with alarming frequency. Tajammul was one such man—beaten for serving tea, stripped to prove his religion. We unpack how a religious pilgrimage once rooted in devotion to Lord Shiva is being turned into a platform for majoritarian aggression, fueled by political rhetoric, state complicity, and viral disinformation. The episode also explores the broader implications of government orders mandating religious identification for vendors, the spread of conspiracy theories like “thook jihad,” and the painful impact on India’s secular fabric. Locations covered: Muzaffarnagar, Haridwar, Shamli, Amroha, Hapur Sources: The Wire, BBC, AltNews, Religion News Service, Supreme Court of India rulings Subscribe for more in-depth reporting on democracy, rights, and pluralism in South Asia.