Uttar Pradesh: tensions between Muslims and Hindus over Eid (and Navratri)

In Varanasi, the celebrations for the end of Ramadan are blocked due to closures related to a Hindu holiday. Meat, fish and poultry shops have had to close; only a few vegetarian markets are available. Protests also break out in Meerut over the ban on street praying.

Delhi (AsiaNews) – The feast of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting and prayer, has sparked sectarian tensions and protests between the Hindu majority and Muslims in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

While Muslims around the world will celebrate the event with banquets and traditional food, all meat, fish and poultry shops in Varanasi will remain closed.

The Times of India reports that the lockdown is due to the Hindu festival of Navratri, which began yesterday until 7 April, during which shops remain closed for nine days, overlapping this year with the Eid al-Fitr celebrations.

Varanasi Mayor Ashok Kumar Tiwari waded into the controversy. Citing the sacredness of the holiday, he urged Muslims to respect it, including the closure of trading activities.

Navratri, literally the "Nine Nights", is a festival dedicated to Devi or Śakti, the "Divine Mother", the feminine expression of the Godhead. Navratri is celebrated with great devotion throughout India and in Hindu communities around the world.

This year the festival falls on the Muslim feast of Eid, which has led to disagreements and tensions because the Islamic community feels it has been denied the opportunity to celebrate the end of its month-long fast.

But for Varanasi’s mayor, “Since the proposal of the closure of meat shops during Navratri was passed in the executive, it would be strictly implemented.”

Tiwari explained that his city is a "religious and cultural capital", with almost 2,000 pilgrims coming every day for the famous temple. “A tradition should be followed,” he added, “and it should not be seen as something forced” at the expense of members of other religions.

Human rights groups have criticised the decision, stressing that Eid comes "once a year" and after the Ramadan sacrifices, Muslims, especially the poorest, “look forward to feasting on Eid.”

“Only shops 500 metres away from any temple are allowed open today,” said Fr Anand Mathew, a local Catholic priest speaking to AsiaNews.

“This is badly affecting business in the Muslim community who sell chicken, fish, meats, etc. and the poor who have to pay higher prices for non-vegetarian food for today's Eid feast,” he added. In addition, the municipal administration and the police "harass Muslim traders and workers”.

For the past two years, it has been impossible to sell anything non-vegetarian within a radius of two kilometres near the Vishwanath Temple, local sources explain, and these restrictions create fractures in society.

Nevertheless, Varanasi can take pride in a strong history of interreligious harmony, making it a symbol of religious diversity, as well as particularly wealthy.

With thousands of temples, it is the epicentre of Hinduism, but Muslims make up almost 30 per cent of the city’s estimated 1.5 million residents and the city has always been a mosaic of different faiths and cultures, with a large Christian presence as well.

Protests broke out after the Eid prayer in Meerut, also in Uttar Pradesh, when Muslims were prevented from offering Namaz, the Muslim prayer, in the streets.

The protesters waved placards saying that “only Muslims do not offer namaz (prayers) on the streets,” whereas Hindus can do so during the festivals of Holi, Shivratri, Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi and Ramnavmi.

Last week, the city's police warned people who planned to hold Eid prayers on the street that they would face legal action, such as the possible cancellation of passports and driver's licenses. In Haryana district, numerous Palestinian flags were flown.

• india
• uttar pradesh
• varanasi
• ramadan
• eid al-fitr
• navratri
• protests
• discrimination
• shop closures