23-05-2025
Three Years After Father's Beheading, Udaipur Tailor Kanhaiya Lal's Son Seeks To Serve Nation
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For three years, he stayed barefoot as a mark of protest. Now, Kanhaiya Lal's son says he won't hesitate to wear Army boots for India
Nearly three years have passed since Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor from Udaipur's Bhoot Mahal area, was attacked, dragged out of his shop, and brutally beheaded by Muhammad Riyaz Attari and Ghaus Muhammad for expressing support for the controversial remarks made by now-suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma.
The entire act was caught on a mobile camera and shared on the internet by the attackers, and was treated as a case of terrorism. A day ahead of Kanhaiya Lal's third death anniversary, a movie on the attack that shook the nation and influenced the Rajasthan Assembly election is set to be released in theatres.
While Yash, Kanhaiya Lal's son, is hopeful that the film will refresh public memory about the tailor's murder, the recent Operation Sindoor seems to have given him something that had been missing from his life ever since 28 June 2022 — purpose.
Yash found common ground between his personal tragedy and the recent Indo-Pakistan conflict. The NIA probe into the case revealed a Pakistan angle. Muhammad Riyaz Attari and Ghaus Muhammad — both accused — belonged to the Barelvi sect of Sunni Islam and were members of Dawat-e-Islami, a Barelvi organisation based in Karachi, Pakistan, led by Muhammad Ilyas Attar Qadri. Ghaus Muhammad had attended religious sessions organised by Dawat-e-Islami in Karachi in 2014, the NIA probe found.
So when the recent conflict began, Yash envisioned a dream — to fight the same Pakistan. 'I understand the pain the families of those 26 who lost their lives in Pahalgam are going through because I, too, have been through a similar phase. That is why I feel India should impart compulsory military training, like Israel, keeping many in reserve. If the recent situation had escalated further, more boots on the ground would have been required. If given a chance, I would be happy to enroll in the armed forces in whatever capacity they deem fit," Yash told News18 with a straight face and eyes sparkling.
Yash, as well as his brother Tarun, are government employees with the Rajasthan government.
The movie Gyanvapi Files: A Tailor's Murder Story is slated for release on 27 June this year across 4,500 screens globally, including in the UK, the US, and Dubai, according to Amit Jani, the film's producer.
'What happened in Udaipur is nothing new—Pakistan always does this. They (Pakistan) sent a message that they will kill us in Pahalgam, Lal Chowk, Baramulla, Pulwama, and even Udaipur. They will kill us where we think we are the safest. This is the aim of Pakistan and Islamic terror. When Kanhaiya Lal's murder happened, I said back then, 'It's not the murder of a tailor but a trailer of murders.' This movie aims to expose that," Jani told News18.
While Jani hopes the film may help raise public awareness and potentially fast-track justice, Yash sounds disheartened by the glacial pace of India's criminal justice system. 'Every time I meet a politician or speak to the media, I request them to help expedite the case. It is still in the sessions court. It's been three years. My depositions aren't even over yet. I only wonder how long we will have to wait for justice," Yash said.
As Yash walked out, he moved barefoot. Since his father's horrific murder, he has vowed not to wear shoes until justice is served. But for the pride of serving his nation, Yash says he may reconsider his vow—if asked to, he would be willing to don army boots.
