In a welcome move, the J&K administration under Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha once again allowed Muharram processions. The decision is part of a broader outreach to Muslim community by the administration. The authorities ensured extensive arrangements for the procession, including deploying police officers from midnight to ensure security and maintain order.
This year’s procession follows the peaceful Muharram of the previous year, when LG Sinha participated in Zuljanah. Wearing a black dress, the LG visited the most volatile part of the city in Srinagar’s Bota Kadal area, and offered chaddar to Zuljanah, a procession carried out to recall the martyrdom of the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), Imam Hussain, during the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD. Sinha was also seen distributing refreshments to the gathering.
In the Valley, Muharram processions are a long-standing tradition. Thousands of mourners gather to participate in these processions, expressing their grief and solidarity for Imam Hussain’s sacrifice. The eighth day of Muharram sees one of the most significant processions in Srinagar, commencing at Guru Bazaar and concluding in the Dalgate area. This year, the event witnessed a large turnout of mourners chanting pro-Islam slogans and praising the ultimate sacrifice of Imam Hussain.
Until 2022, Muharram gatherings used to be banned in the Valley since the advent of militancy in 1989. Authorities maintained that the religious gatherings were used for propagating separatist politics and triggering violence. In Srinagar, the vulnerable areas such as Abi Gugar, Lal Chowk, Regal Chowk, Aali Masjid, Shaheed Gunj, Guru Bazaar and Hawal were usually placed under tight security restrictions to foil large gatherings of people. Government justified the extreme measures citing the possibility of violence in the city. This was a stock government explanation for prohibiting the Muharram religious processions over the past three decades. No longer.
In recent years, the situation has changed for the better, although the union territory has yet to experience true peace. And that will require the government to take more steps including political measures to address the underlying sources of discontent. On a positive note, we are already expecting Assembly elections later this year which will give people a stake in the governance of the region. A peaceful Muharram procession is an indication that the Valley is not just normal for holding an electoral exercise but also for the restoration of statehood. Sooner these things happen, the happier people of the UT will be.
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