Have you noticed some stores have a very unique name such as, 'Karnataka Chicken Stall', 'India Metal Fabricators', 'Hindusthan Dental Clinic', 'Bharath this and that.... etc.
I always wondered, the store owner must really be very patriotic for naming his business after that of state/nation. Quite recently, I realized that most of such stores are owned by Muslims. The reason behind such naming convention ? To attract all sects of customers and eliminate the possibility of religion coming in way of their business interests.
It is rather bizzare to know that one section of people have to prove their loyalty or earn the confidence of other section by hiding their true identity.
In old Delhi, muslim owned restaurants are popular for their delicious Biriyani's and Sweets. Infact, the trade name for best biriyani belongs to a family called 'Mohammed Biryaniwale'. It is known that their ancestors were cooking for King Akbar. Similarly, Kashmiris are well known for their handicrafts and skills in shawls and handlooms. Kashmiri Shawls are most popular in India. However they do not
run their business with names 'Kashmiri Handlooms'. It takes ages for the trade name to become synonym with a family name. If a particular family or section have earned such a fame or name, why should they not continue to run their business with that name ? I only wish the general public is little more broad minded and choose/evaluate the stores based on quality, efficiency and honesty rather than allowing their pre-wired religious perceptions to cloud their judgment.
The story on the other side of border is no different. Many of the Hindus, most of whom are businessmen from Sindh province, have taken on Muslim names and lead rather discreet lives there in Pakistan. The best handicraft shops is named 'Jinnah Super' in Islamabad are owned by Sindhi's from Karachi. At the end of the day, the losers are the customers who miss out on right value for their money.
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