Karachi Bakery in Bengaluru forced to cover its name after protests

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Feb 23, 2019: A week after attack on the Central Reserve Police Forces convoy that killed 40 jawans, anger against Pakistan refuses to die down. After boycotting actors and artists from Pakistan and implementing several diplomatic and trade sanctions against the Pakistan government, some people now seem to be objecting against the famous Karachi Bakery in Bengaluru.

People in Bengaluru have been demanding the closing of the well-known Karachi Bakery and Cafe, which was started by a Sindhi Partition survivor Khanchand Ramnami in 1952 after he migrated to Hyderabad in 1947. According to reports, they have an objection to the bakery’s name which is based on a city in Pakistan.

Since then, it has been famous for its biscuits and other baked savouries. However, since the attack in Pulwama, many people have been demanding that the company close its branches. On Friday, a mob of unidentified people gathered outside the Karachi Bakery outlet in Indiranagar and demanded the shop remove its signboard. In the end, they seem to have managed to get the word ’Karachi’ covered with a cloth. An Indian flag has also been hung on the front window on top of the signboard.

According to a report in Scroll.com, the Bengaluru (East) Police Control Room confirmed that they had indeed received a distress call from Indiranagar area around the time of the mob incident but refused to divulge further details.

The report also mentioned that though the Indiranagar branch refused to comment on the incident, employees from other branches said that they too had been receiving threats and complaints against the bakery’s ’Pakistani’ name.

Since Friday night, social media has been flooded with photos of the bakery with the word ’Karachi’ covered in cloth. Many criticised the act as intolerant and mourned the attack on the beloved bakery.

Instances of hate and displays of hate against Pakistan have grown exponentially since the Pulwama attack on Feb 14, for which terror organisation Jaish-e-Mohammad has claimed responsibility. While the government is locked in a diplomatic tussle with the Pakistani government, common people have been expressing anger in various ways. From shoe-sellers using ’Pakistan Murdabad’ as a catchphrase to attract customers to a food stall owner offering a Rs 10 discount on his items if they say ’Pakistan Murdabad’.

Muslims across the country, especially Kashmiris, have faced harassment with fear of mob violence driving thousands back to Jammu and Kashmir within just a few days.

With Pakistan refusing to acknowledge responsibility for the attack and its recent promise of retaliation in case of an attack from the Indian side are likely to keep tensions rife in the coming days.