Karachi Bakery in Bengaluru forced to cover signboard amidst protests

A Karachi Bakery outlet in Bengaluru was forced to cover up the word ‘Karachi’ on its main name board on Friday. The protesters claimed that they believed Karachi Bakery was a Pakistan-based outlet. This comes more than a week after 44 CRPF personnel were killed in a terror attack in Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

The mob refused to disperse from the bakery and continued to protest from 8 pm to 8:30 pm. To placate the crowd, the establishment covered up the word “Karachi” in its signboard and put up an Indian flag. There was no property damage or violence at the site. Despite the protest, the bakery continued to operate until its scheduled closing time of 11 pm.

Karachi Bakery is not a Pakistan-based outlet. It was started in Hyderabad in 1953 by Khanchand Ramnani, who migrated from Karachi during the Partition. It has since grown into a nationwide franchise.

This is however not the first time that Karachi bakery is becoming a target. In 2016, they faced a boycott campaign, as they were reported to be selling Israeli dates as part of Ramadan gift hamper. Many social media users said that sentiments of Muslims were hurt as they perceive Israel to be an aggressor in the ongoing occupation of Palestine.

The nation has seen an increase in the number of attacks targetting Kashmiris. The link between those incidents and this one is the lack of knowledge. A mob can be incited easily if the goal is similar and requires violence. They don’t care about knowing the history of a place. People running the Karachi Bakery are Indians and doesn’t have any connection with Pakistan. Please maintain peace and think before attacking. We are somehow injuring our nation only through these actions.