In the sensitive Purola town in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, Muslims did not gather for namaz in public places on the occasion of Id-ul-Azha on June 29, following pressure from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). Many drove to far-off places to offer namaz.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) had asked the minority community to avoid offering prayers in public places.
Ashok Chaudhary, station house officer of the Purola police station, said the decision to not offer namaz in public places was taken by the community itself to maintain public peace. “We offered security to Muslims to arrange Id namaz, but they said they would not offer prayers in public,” he said.
“They used to offer Id namaz on terraces and sometimes in the ground near the market. We have asked them not to do it,” VHP district chief Virendra Rawat said.
Ashraf Khan, who runs a garment store in Purola, has held Id namaz on his terrace for the past 40 years. This time, he drove 40 km to a settlement of Van Gujjars (a nomad tribe which primarily rears buffalo) to offer prayers.
“You cant offer Id namaz at home. It has to be offered en masse, with a maulvi,” Mr. Khan said.
Rashif Ali, a trader, went to his home in Saharanpur, to celebrate Id.
Purola witnessed communal tensions last month after two men allegedly tried to abduct a 15-year-old girl. The two were arrested and charged under the POCSO Act.
Several right-wing groups staged protests and stuck posters asking members of the minority community to leave the town. The groups also called for a mahapanchayat on June 15, which was withdrawn at the last minute amid efforts by the administration to maintain peace.
Badrinath diktat
In Badrinath, the police issued a diktat that Muslims should go to Joshimath, 35 km away, to offer namaz.
The local business community and the police, after a meeting earlier this week, had announced that Muslims should go to Joshimath to offer namaz.
“This was done as a mark of respect to the religious sentiments of pilgrims who travel to Badrinath,” Badrinath SHO K.C. Bhatt said.
He said that there were only five or six people from the minority community in the town who were employed as contractors in shops.
