Who is Mathu Ram and why was he mentioned in PM Modi’s Gohana rally speech?

Neeraj, 40, Mathu Ram’s grandson, is now carrying on the family legacy. Neeraj told The Indian Express that it would have been better if the prime minister had not mentioned his grandfather’s name in the speech.

Lala Mathu Ram started the shop, named Lala Mathu Ram ki Jalebi, in 1958. “He always wanted to do something different. He loved to make sweets, but people were already making crispy and small-sized jalebis. He then decided to make a jalebi that was unmatched in size. He made one piece weighing 250 grams. After 66 years, we continue to follow his secret formula and the same size jalebi that make us unique.”

Explaining the famous jalebi, Neeraj adds, “Unlike other jalebis that lose their shelf life after a few hours, our jalebi has a shelf life of nearly one week. Not only this, we also make another delicacy, chane ka laddoo, which has a shelf life of nearly two months. There are several other sweets we prepare.”

However, maintaining this uniqueness has not been easy for Neeraj and his family. Many people have started misusing Mathu Ram’s name, forcing Neeraj to approach the court and file a copyright-trademark suit. “Today, there must be more than 50-60 shops in Gohana, Sonipat, misusing my grandfather’s name. People have even started putting up boards saying ‘Mathu Ram ka asli chela’ on their shops. We filed a case in the sessions court in Sonipat and won, but we were forced to approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court. It has been seven years since we started this legal battle.”

Why does Neeraj think Prime Minister Narendra Modi should not have mentioned his grandfather’s name?

A few months ago, Neeraj received threatening calls from gangsters demanding a sum of Rs. 2 crore. “On January 21, three persons fired 30-40 rounds at my shop. It terrorized not only us but the entire locality. Police were informed, who registered a case and also arrested the culprits. But I do not want to talk further about this incident.”

Police sources disclosed that the shooters were part of the infamous Bhau gang and had fired multiple rounds to extort money from Neeraj. Although Neeraj and his family members have been provided security cover, he says, “One can eat less and be happy, but cannot live in constant fear of threats. Although the state government and police fully supported us and did their duty, it would have been better if we were not named today.”