For over eight decades, Ustad Bismillah Khan played the shehnai at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, while Mohammed Rafi’s bhajans echoed across Hindu temples nationwide. In Karnataka, incense sticks branded Mastana Darbar Agarbatti – made by a Muslim entrepreneur – were integral to temple rituals. Yet, no one questioned their devotion, nor saw any threat to Hinduism. This spirit exemplified India’s Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb, a tradition of syncretic harmony.
Today, however, troubling shifts are emerging. In South India, Muslims are increasingly barred from trade during temple festivals. In the North, Muslim shopkeepers were excluded from the PrayagKumbh Mela, and those along the Kanwar Yatra route were forced to publicly identify themselves, discouraging Hindu pilgrims from buying from them.
Further inflaming tensions, Baba Ramdev recently accused a Muslim-owned sherbet brand of funding mosques and madrasas – a claim dubbed ‘sherbet jihad’. He urged consumers to instead buy from his own company, promising proceeds would support temples and gurukuls. Though he avoided direct naming, the communal insinuation was clear.
Such rhetoric blurs the line between marketing and communal provocation, seemingly aimed at boosting personal business interests by exploiting religious sentiments. Despite the presence of regulatory bodies like the Competition Commission of India (CCI) and the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) of 2019, no action was taken against these divisive practices.
One must ask: if Hindu and Jain business owners fund temples, and multinational companies like Microsoft donate to church-affiliated NGOs, why is it objectionable if a Muslim business supports mosques and madrasas? If Ramdev’s logic were applied consistently, would he prefer Muslims boycott Hindu-run businesses – or Hindus boycott establishments built by Muslims, like Lucknow’s Lulu Mall?
The reality is simpler. During Eid al-Fitr or Eid Adha, Muslims throng predominantly Hindu-run markets like Lajpat Nagar and Sarojini Nagar. Commerce thrives not on religious identity but on trust, quality, and need. No one asks the faith of the manufacturer of cement, steel, or food products when building homes, mosques, or temples.
Muslims’ earnings, both domestic and remittance-based, flow into the broader Indian economy – much of which is driven by Hindu-run enterprises. Ignoring this economic interdependence undermines not just unity but prosperity.
Experts agree. Rakesh Basant, former IIM professor, calls communalising business “misguided,” while Prof. Arun Kumar of JNU notes that while religion was once used to connect with consumers, today it is being weaponised to destroy competitors. “Divisive rhetoric damages the spirit of enterprise,” Kumar warns.
Communalising commerce weakens national unity and erodes the spirit of mutual cooperation essential for economic growth. India’s true strength lies in its diversity – not just of faith, but of enterprise.