Hyderabad: Amid escalating India-Pakistan tensions and Operation Sindoor, owners of the famous Karachi Bakery in Hyderabad have appealed to the Revanth Reddy government in Telangana for support, apprehensive of protests over their brand named after the city in Sindh, Pakistan.
The owners—Hindu Sindhis—had migrated from Pakistan post-1947 partition and had set up the bakery in 1953 at Moazzam Jahi Market area in the old city. The bakery, especially known for its fruit biscuits, became iconic over the decades with branches opened in many other areas of Hyderabad and in cities such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Visakhapatnam.
However, every time tensions flare up between India Pakistan, such as during the Pulwama attacks in 2019, the bakery witnesses some collateral damage as some people and organisations link the name with Pakistan.
A protest was staged at one Karachi Bakery outlet in Visakhapatnam earlier this week, in condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 tourists were shot dead, including two from Andhra Pradesh. One of the victims, J.S. Chandramouli, a retired banker, was from the port city.
Activists of local group Janajagrana Samiti, who carried national and saffron flags, reportedly termed the bakery’s name as “inappropriate, and demanded the managers to immediately change the name”. They also wanted the government to lodge a case of treason if the name was not modified.
The incident took place a day before India launched cross-border missile strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK).
On Thursday, as tempers further escalated against the neighbouring country, Karachi Bakery owners Rajesh and Harish Ramnani sought to clarify that their “Karachi Bakery is a Hyderabadi, Indian brand (and not Pakistan’s)”.
“The bakery was founded here in Hyderabad in 1953 by our grandfather Khanchand Ramnani, who migrated to India during partition. It has been 72 years. He chose the name Karachi as a mark of his love and attachment (to his hometown, which went to Pakistan),” the partners told a media outlet.
“We request the CM, DGP, police commissioner to support us. We understand the situation and there are protests over the name ‘Karachi’, but please do not make us change our name. The reality is that Karachi Bakery is a Hyderabadi, India brand.”
According to the owners, Indian flags are being put up at some outlets, while a source said tricolours at the main bakery branch at Moazzam Jahi were fixed to show solidarity with the nation against Pakistan and placate any protesters.
In the days following the dastardly Pulwama attack in February 2019, in which 40 jawans of the Central Reserve Paramilitary Force were killed by a suicide bomber from Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Karachi Bakery store in Bengaluru was attacked by a group of men demanding that the name “Karachi” be masked.
In 2021, the bakery faced Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists’ ire over its “Pakistani name”.
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CM leads solidarity march
On Thursday evening, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy led a sanghibaava (solidarity) rally from the state secretariat along the Necklace Road and Hussian Sagar, in support of India’s action against Pakistan-based terrorism.
Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu, Chief Secretary Ramakrishna Rao, senior police and other ministers and officials took part in the foot march.
“Our march is to convey that we are all one, regardless of politics, when it comes to the nation’s security and sovereignty. We are here today to extend our thanks and support to our jawans,” the CM said. “We are peace-seekers but when our sisters’ sindoor is wiped off, we respond with Operation Sindoor. We stand solidly behind our army in erasing terrorism.”
On Wednesday, Reddy and Vikramarka reviewed the state’s preparedness after the launch of Operation Sindoor and ordered strict security measures to prevent any untoward incident anywhere in the state.
All the departments were asked to work in coordination and ensure that people do not face any problems or shortage of essential commodities, ensuring no disruption in the supply chain.
The CM ordered special security measures at all army and other defence offices and establishments in Hyderabad and also ordered the police to tighten security at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport and increase surveillance at all foreign consulates and embassies in Hyderabad.
Adequate protection will be provided to foreign tourists, the CM said as the state is hosting the Miss World pageant starting Saturday.
Asking the police to be on high alert, the CM also ordered them to detain Pakistan and Bangladesh nationals residing in Telangana illegally. “Strict action will be taken against those who disturb peace and security.”
Leaves of employees of departments engaged in emergency services have been cancelled. Ministers and officials should be available for any contingency and cancel all foreign trips, if any, Reddy said, according to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office.
State intelligence teams were directed to coordinate with the central intelligence agency and a special information centre will be established to closely monitor the security system from the Command Control Centre in the heart of Hyderabad.
The officials concerned were asked by the CM to stockpile blood in blood banks and emergency medicines. “Information about the availability of beds in private hospitals should be updated from time to time. Strengthen coordination with the Red Cross. Food stock should also be made sufficient,” he directed.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)