The victim while speaking to the media identified the accused as Vishalbhai Goswami, Manishbhai Goswami, Ajju Bhai Jadeja, and Ratan Singh, who allegedly assaulted her family members. In a statement to the media, she narrated how the accused attacked her father, uncle, brother, and on her.

 

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However, while reacting to the discrimination and violence faced by the Dalit family in Gujarat’s Kutch district, who were assaulted by accused belonging to the upper caste for attending a Garba program, Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani condemned the incident and posted on social media platform X that “The country became independent but our society is still in the grip of untouchability. In Gujarat’s Kutch district, a Dalit family was beaten by upper caste people because they had gone there for the Garba programme.”

Link:

देश तो आज़ाद हुआ लेकिन हमारा समाज अभी भी छुआछूत की चपेट में है।

गुजरात के कच्छ जिले में एक दलित परिवार को कही जाने वाली ऊंची जाति के लोगों ने इस लिए पीट दिया क्यूं की वह गरबा कार्यक्रम के लिए वहा गए थे। pic.twitter.com/HijofDoXtp

— Jignesh Mevani (@jigneshmevani80) October 9, 2024

The assault on the Dalit family in Gujarat’s Kutch highlights the alarming rise in violence against marginalized communities, driven by deep-rooted caste system and religious discrimination. This incident, along with the targeting of Muslim youth in UP and MP for participating in cultural events, underscores a broader societal issue that urgently requires action from the BJP-led government in all three states where atrocities with Dalits and Muslims have reached on peak.

Related:

Hate Watch: Navratri events marred by targeted attacks on Muslim youth and artist

VHP leader assaults Muslim youth attempting to enter Navratri event in UP

Secularism under siege: post-election realities for Indian Muslims

The post A Dalit family beaten up and abused for attending Garba event in Gujarat appeared first on SabrangIndia.

In our previous report on Sabrang India, we highlighted the sinister thread of hatred and communal division that is increasingly undermining the fabric of interfaith coexistence. The sacred rhythms of Navratri have been disrupted by the discordant notes of intolerance and division in several BJP-ruled states, including Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, where right-wing groups have intensified their activities. Similar incidents have recurred across the country.

Uttar Pradesh

In Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim woman artist Baby Imran was barred from performing at a Garba event despite being invited, solely due to her identity. When she began her performance, the electricity was cut off and not restored until she left the event.

While speaking to the media, the artist said that “I have promoted my folk culture through social media and the entire public of Jhansi has supported me.” She reacting to her expulsion from the event, said that “There is no caste of an artist, or the religion of an artist is humanity, I am a Muslim, my name is Muslim but I have always brought forward Indian Sanskrit, such behavior has never happened with me.”

In #UttarPradesh‘s #Jhansi, a #Muslim woman artist was invited but not allowed to perform at a #Garba event due to her religious identity.

When she started performing, electricity was cut off. It was not restored unless she left the event. pic.twitter.com/v56VKiKYkZ

— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) October 10, 2024

Madhya Pradesh

In Indore, Madhya Pradesh, the right-wing outfit Bajrang Dal disrupted a dandiya event upon allegedly discovering a Muslim youth attending with food containing chicken. In the video that surfaced on social media, you can see a saffron shawl wear right-wing leader citing the names of the alleged Muslim youth for attending the event along with having chicken.

 

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In Dewas, Hindu Jagran Manch members warned non-Hindus to leave a Garba event immediately, threatening physical assault for those who did not comply. In a video that surfaced on social media, a group of right-wing members while chanting the slogan of ‘Jai Shree Ram’ entered the Garba event and addressed the gathered crowd, stating, “If any vidharmi is present in this pandal, leave immediately; otherwise, we will throw you out.”

 

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Similarly, On October 6, 2024, in MP’s Guna, right wing outfit Hindu Jagran Manch’s members intruded a Garba celebration, caught and physically assaulted Muslim youths for attending the event, and handed them over to the police. In the video police personnel can be seen assaulting the Muslim youth when he opposed his expulsion.

 

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The rising hostility against Muslim artists and youth participating in cultural celebrations highlights a troubling trend of communal division in India. Recent incidents, particularly in BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, reveal a chilling atmosphere where right-wing groups disrupt events and instigate violence based on religious identity. The exclusion of individuals like artist Baby Imran and the threats faced by Muslim attendees at Garba events underline a broader agenda that seeks to undermine interfaith harmony. This escalating intolerance not only harms the spirit of cultural unity but also threatens the very essence of India’s kaleidoscopic festivals.

Related:

VHP leader assaults Muslim youth attempting to enter Navratri event in UP

When Navratri’s joyous Garba dance becomes a garb for exclusion: Gujarat, MP

Hate Watch: Vigilante groups misuse Navratri as an excuse to spread communal unrest

The post Hate Watch: Navratri events marred by targeted attacks on Muslim youth and artist appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The 9-day dance revelries began on September 25 as did the moral surveillance. Ask young Muslims in Gujarat if they are enjoying the tradition garba-raas and they say ‘we cannot even if we wanted to.’ As governance by a Hindu majoritarian party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) enters its 25^th year in the western Indian state of Gujarat, brazen instances of extra-constitutional exercise of authority are reported every other day in the media.

A spurt of instances can be recounted. On September 25, the Indian Express reported that “Hindu organisations in Bharuch have submitted a memoranda to the district collector and superintendent of police demanding that ‘non-Hindus should not be allowed to play garba in pandals or grounds during the upcoming Navratri festival’. Grounds? Basis?

The organisations have also demanded that even advertisements of non-Hindu firms should not be displayed at garba venues and bouncers or orchestra teams also shouldn’t be from non-Hindu communities. Not surprisingly, the SP of the district who wears a uniform who’s service rules are governed by the Indian Constitution, declined any comment on the memorandum by Hindu organisations. The newspaper reported that the Bajrang Dal South Gujarat prant president Sejalbhai Desai said, “We have taken this decision due to the rise in incidents of love jihad. Our volunteers will visit garba venues and will take action if any non-Hindus are found playing garba.”

One of the events was an event organised by the police. The Bharuch police was organising a Navratri event at its headquarter ground for the families of policemen, government officials and others, preparations for which are in the final stage. Talking to the Indian Express, Bharuch district superintendent of police Dr Leena Patil said, “Such an event is being organised for the family members of the policemen on duty during the festival. There is no entry fees and we have extended invitation to all government departments. The event will start at 9 pm and will end at 12 noon.”

While the same newspaper reported how garba dance venues would play songs extolling the virtues of the present prime minister, there was no comment from any state government officials to take action against the extra-constitutional acts of the Bajrang Dal.

 September 29-30

The most violent and unlawful assault, unsurprisingly came from the city of Ahmedabad, from where a series of videos showing Bajrang Dak workers brutallyassaulting, stripping, humiliating and thrashing four Muslim youths at a garba venue on Sindhu Bhavan Road went viral last week and were widely reported by Times of India, Indian Express, TimesNow News and the Deccan Herald.  The city police, known for their hasty actions under executive watch otherwise, were in the first instance, yet to register a complaint in the case even as the right-wing organization took “responsibility” for the incident.

Hitendrasinh Rajput, the spokesperson for Gujarat VHP, said that Bajrang Dal volunteers vocally claimed credit for the violent acts. He said they carried out checks at two venues on the night of September 29, to prevent people from other religions from participating in Navratri.”Despite being warned, four youths from another religion were spotted at a venue. Our volunteers grabbed them to prevent love jihad.” Rajput admitted that the four youths were beaten up.
 

Violent attacks on Muslims

The content of the videos that went viral on social media are telling: one of the videos shows Bajrang Dal men holding placards displaying messages against “love jihad” outside Sky Universal Garba venue on SBR on Tuesday night. The video also shows that youth were recorded making abusive comments against Muslims in one of the videos. They were also seen applying tilak on the foreheads of male garba enthusiasts purportedly to ensure that no man from the minority community ‘dared’ enter the venue.

In another video, some Bajrang Dal workers were seen chasing a man and abusing him. They were recorded asking the man why he entered the venue despite being a Muslim and accused him of entrapping Hindu girls. One more recording on a video showed, shockingly, a man bleeding severely from his head was being abused and thrashed by around 30 Bajrang Dal men. The man, whose clothes were torn, identified himself as Salman Shaikh and pleaded to be spared. The Bajrang Dal workers forced him to apologize, and he was seen running away from the venue in the video. Even as the Bajrang Dal members circulated the videos, the cops were unaware of the incident.Bajrang Dal has also warned hotels against renting rooms to “people from other religions” accompanied by girls. In a tweet tagging the Hotels and Restaurants Association of Western India, Rajput said that it had been observed that hotels are used in cases of exploitation of girls in instances of love jihad.
 

The police had a predictable reaction. DCP (Sector 7) B U Jadeja told TOI, “No complainant has come forward. No complaint has been filed in the case.” He added, “We are aware of the videos and in the process of verifying those. As of now, there is no case filed since no one has come forward to lodge a complaint,” B U Jadeja, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 7, Ahmedabad told media houses.

The Indian Expressalso reports shocking comments from office-bearers of the VHP. “The non-believers (vidharmis) have no reason to attend such events. Garba is not only a cultural event, but also religious. If a non-believer attends it, it makes it clear about their intentions as to why they want to attend the event,” said Vinod Bansal, the national spokesperson of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), an organisation which the Bajrang Dal is associated with.“There were various instances of physical assault, rapes, love jihad, and kidnapping during such events before ,” added Bansal.

“It is our duty to protect our sisters. When the celebration of Navratri started we even requested the non-believers to not attend our events, through our social media handle. The recent case which happened in Ahmedabad (September 29), where a case of a non-believer entering one of the garba venue, happened because we want to protect our sisters. We got to know about the event, we keep doing rounds of different venues, and keep a check on such activities. Each venue is guarded by 5-7 of our volunteers, who keep doing rounds,” said Rajesh Patel, a Bajrang Dal worker.

“Either these non-believers should restrict themselves from attending such events, or the law enforcers should stop them. Their venue identity cards should be checked by the venue organisers before entering the events,” said Bansal.

VHP, Bajrang Dal news sources

The source of the news, for the media, ironically were also the VHP and Bajrang Dal: according to Bajrang Dal, the incident happened at R K Party Plot at Sindhu Bhavan Road in Ahmedabad on Tuesday night while they were “checking” identities of revellers in order to keep non-Hindus away from ‘garba’ venues. The propaganda of the majority supremacist groups that non-Hindu groups and individuals going to ‘garba’ is nothing but part of “love jihad”. The organisation has submitted memorandums to district authorities in various parts of Gujarat for not allowing non-Hindus into ‘garba’ venues.

Interestingly, the owner of the R K Party Plot, Nirav Patel was clueless. He was quoted by newspapers like the Deccan Herald saying that he was not aware of the incident as he had only rented his plot to an event management firm — Sky Events. When contacted, Vedik Shah, who runs Sky Events, said that he did come to know about some fights last night but “it didn’t occur at his event”.

Police Complaint a day later

A day later, on September 30, Sarkhej police filed a complaint against “unknown persons” for beating “a minority youth”. The FIR has been filed under the IPC Sections 323 (causing hurt), 143 (member of unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 294b (uttering of abusive words) and 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) against unknown men.
 

The Sarkhej police station officer reading the contents of the FIR to the media said, “The accused persons formed an unlawful assembly went to a garba venue near Rangoli Party Plot on Sindhu Bhavan Road and assaulted a person from a minority community on Tuesday night.”
 

The impunity enjoyed by such outfits is evident. While office-bearers of the Bajrang Dal have proudly taken “responsibility” for the assault incident, the police have taken the easy way out: they have filed an omnibus FIR not naming anyone. The more serious charge of causing grievous hurt was also not invoked. The Times of India reported that the Sarkhej police inspector V A Desai was not available for comment on this issue.

Kheda, Gujarat

The 9-day Navratri Garba revelries often spill over until Sharad Purnima in Ahmedabad and even Gujarat. But the fag end of this year’s revelries, October 4, saw violent attacks on those enjoying the festivities. PTI reportsthat”Six persons were injured. We have deployed police force in the village and efforts are underway to arrest the accused,” Kheda SP Rajesh Gadhiya said.Police had been deployed at Undhela village in Matar tehsil following the incident on Monday night, said an official.

“A group of people led by two men identified as Arif and Zahir entered the Navratri Garba venue and started causing trouble. They even pelted stones,” said Kheda Superintendent of Police Rajesh Gadhiya.

Madhya Pradesh

Not to be outdone by the systemic seasonal violence engaged in by the Bajrang Dal and the VHP in Gujarat, in the neighbouring central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh too, the Bajrang Dal was hyperactive. As reported by The Times of India, the outfit ‘caught eight Muslim youths’ at ‘garba’ venues in Indore in Madhya Pradesh over three days for alleged involvement in “immoral activities”, a functionary of the right-wing Hindu outfit claimed on September 29.

Incidentally, the dog whistles to the outfit (Bajrang Dal) was given by ministers in the BJP-led government in the state, also reports PTI. It was after Madhya Pradesh’s home minister first raised ‘Love Jihad’ concerns on September 27, and the MP government asked Garba organisers to check ID cards at pandals to ‘prevent love jihad’ that the Bajrang Dal got into action. Before this, another state minister,Usha Thakur had also said ID cards should be checked at Navratri venues to prevent “love jihad” incidents.

Undeterred by any hampering of movement by the authorities, and emboldened by the statements of the ministers, spokesperson for the Bajrang Dal also said that over 400 activists have been deployed at Navratri venues here to check “love jihad”. Denying this, however, a senior Indore police official said the situation at all these venues was peaceful and no “love jihad” activity was underway in any of them.“Love jihad” is a vilifying term used by right-wing groups and activists to allege a concerted effort by Muslim men to convert Hindu women to Islam through marriage.PTIalso quotes, Bajrang Dal Indore unit coordinator Tannu Sharma alleged these eight youths had entered the garba venues by hiding their identities.

“We have deployed our 400 workers in various garba pandals to check love-jihad. It is their duty to check whether any person is entering these premises by hiding their real identities and indulging in immoral activities,” he said.

“In the last three days, after getting information about immoral activities, these workers have caught eight Muslim youths from different localities. They had entered the venues by hiding their identities. We handed them over to the police,” Sharma claimed.He alleged these youths were shooting videos of women without permission and were also indulging in other “immoral activities”.Some purported videos of Bajrang Dal activists handing over such youth to the police have gone viral on social media.

Indore Additional Commissioner of Police Rajesh Hingankar said, in order to ensure peace, these youths were arrested under section 151 the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).This section allows a police official to arrest a person without orders of a magistrate or without a warrant if it appears that the commissioning of an offence cannot be prevented without such arrest.

Hingankar, however, added, “The situation in all the garba pandals of the city is peaceful. No activities like alleged love jihad is going on in them.” Meanwhile, the state Congress spokesperson Santosh Singh Gautam said any person irrespective of religion must be subjected to appropriate legal action if he or she indulges in any wrongdoing.

Related:

No Garba for non-Hindus: Right-wing in MP

‘Check Aadhaar card to keep out Non-Hindus’: Bajrang Dal to Garba organisers

The post When Navratri’s joyous Garba dance becomes a garb for exclusion: Gujarat, MP appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Madhya Pradesh tourism minister Usha Thakur has dubbed garba venues in the state as potential locations for “Love Jihad”, and recommended that IDs of all people be checked before they are allowed entry. This is purportedly to ensure Muslim youth do not enter such venues.

The Navratri festival where garba and dandiya dance events are organized for nine nights is all set to begin in a little over two weeks. But the minister fears that Muslim boys might misuse the opportunity to woo Hindu girls, a practice dubbed “Love Jihad” by right-wing Hindutva groups who are opposed to inter-faith relationships, especially where the boy is Muslim and the girl is Hindu.

Thakur, while speaking to media persons in Gwalior on Thursday, announced, “Whoever wants to attend a garba, should carry a proper identity card. No one will be permitted to enter without it,” as cultural organisations and ordinary people have noticed that “Garbas have become a medium for love jihad.”

Times of India reports that this is not the first time Thakur has stoked this controversy, and that she had first made a similar demand back in 2014, when she had advised against letting in non-Hindus as garba venues.

SabrangIndia had also previously reported how in October 2019, in an open letter to garba organisers, Bajrang Dal had said that entry of non-Hindu youths should be monitored by checking their Aadhaar cards at garba events. S Kailash, Media Convener, Bajrang Dal, had said at that time, “We have asked the event organisers to mandate Aadhaar Cards at the entry spot to identify non-Hindus entering the venues and also to avoid employing Non-Hindus as bouncers for these events.”

Then in October 2021, members of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) had put up posters outside Garba venues saying “entry of non-Hindus is prohibited” across 56 pandals. The VHP claimed that “non-Hindu men indulge in objectionable activities and thus their entry is being prohibited for Garba”.

Related:

No Garba for non-Hindus: Right-wing in MP

‘Check Aadhaar card to keep out Non-Hindus’: Bajrang Dal to Garba organisers

The post MP tourism minister recommends IDs for entry to garba venues appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Communal polarisation is at its peak in Madhya Pradesh this Navratra. In Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has put up posters outside Garba venues saying “entry of non-Hindus is prohibited” across 56 pandals, reported Indian Express.

The VHP claims that non-Hindu men indulge in objectionable activities and thus their entry is being prohibited for Garba. Ratlam Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Abhishek Gehlot said that he had not received any complaints in this regard.

In another incident in Indore, four youths were arrested for creating “public nuisance” after members of Bajrang Dal caught them outside a Garba organised by the city’s Oxford College on October 10.

Superintendent of Police, Indore West, Maheshchand Jain, told IE that the action against the four was “unfair” and that he had recommended against their detention.

One of the volunteers manning the entry at the college event, Habib Noor, a third-year B.Com student, told IE that members of the Bajrang Dal had picked out Kadir Mansoori in the parking lot, saying “Ye unwala hai (he is one of theirs).”

Sajid Shah, Adnan Shah’s uncle released a video on social media stating that his nephew was put behind bars on allegations of “love jihad”. He questioned, “Can a Muslim not celebrate Garba in his college function?”

He said that members of Bajrang Dal and VHP selectively dragged out the Muslim boys and handed them over to Gandhinagar Police station.

The video of the incident surfaced on Twitter:

A video of the event has surfaced in which men of Hindu outfits have almost kidnapped Muslim youths from inside College.

But, the organiser Mr. Tiwari said that they have captured them from outside college premises.

It’s matter of utter shame that College didn’t come to rescue. pic.twitter.com/chZFGcLcGp

— काश/if Kakvi (@KashifKakvi) October 11, 2021

It is important to note that SP Maheshchand Jain, has categorically stated that the action taken against the Muslim youth was unfair, and that they were arrested despite him ordering against it.

Related:

Uttar Pradesh: Who are these Hindutva mobs prowling the streets, targeting minorities?

Gujarat: Mob brutally attacks two teenage Madrasa students on a busy road
Indore: Police file FIR against Muslim family that was attacked ‘for not leaving village’
Hate Watch: Was Sri Rama Sena Hindustan member allegedly paid Rs 5 lakh to kill 

The post No Garba for non-Hindus: Right-wing in MP appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Image Courtesy: Mumbai Mirror

In an open letter to local garbaorganisers on Saturday,  theBajrang Dal –allied to the RSS—decreed that the entry of non-Hindu youths in the events should be checked.

“We have asked the event organisers to mandate Aadhaar Cardsat the entry spot to identify non-Hindus entering the venues and also to avoid employing Non-Hindus as bouncers for these events,” said S Kailash, Media Convener, Bajrang Dal.

The group claimed that youth belonging to the said communities were taking part in the events and allegedly behaving inappropriately with female participants and that they also manhandle the men who come to the rescue of the victim. Kailash also stated that for the last couple of years the Bajrang Dal has observed that youths from non-Hindu communities have no respect and concern towards the divinity of the event and that the miscreants used these events as places to trap innocent girls, thus leading to love jihad cases.

Kailash also said that the major lapse lay in the monitoring and control on who enters the events. He said that teams of Bajrang Dal karyakartas would be present at the venues to intervene, which could also lead to the disruption of the event.

A Thing of The Past Too

Even in 2014, the VHP in Gujarat issued a pamphlet asking women not to debase themselves by falling into the traps set by Muslim men. The VHP Gujarat General Secretary RanchhodBharwad had then said that Muslim youth could come to the garba venues, but only after converting to Hinduism.

RanchhodBharwad repeated his stance in 2015 when he said, “No Vidharmi (irreligious) will be allowed in the garba venues.”

RaghurvirsinhJadeja, President of the Hindu YuvaSangthan and the Chief of the VHP of the Mandvi tehsil had said in 2015, “Incidents of love jihad where Muslim boys lure and marry our Hindu girls happen at Garba. Our only aim is to protect our girls.”

Peddling Hate with ‘Love Jihad’

The term ‘love jihad’ was allegedly coined by a member of the Sangh, VijaykantChauhan claiming that Hindu women were being lured into marriage by Muslim youth.

The RSS was quick to pick up the issue and turn it into a national campaign against a supposed cultural attack on the Hindu culture.

To aid their claim the VHP and Bajrang Dal activists had also distributed a pamphlet with a morphed photograph of actor KareenaKapoor, in a niqab, and sporting a bindi. The pamphlet says Muslims have been using ‘love jihad’ to “convert Hindus for the last thousand years” and cites actors Aamir Khan and Saif Ali Khan as “examples… as they have deserted their Hindu wives to entrap other Hindu women”. The booklets were being distributed at a five-day ‘spiritual’ fair organised by Hindu Spiritual and Service Foundation.

The letter sent to garbaorganisers in Hyderabad is not the first time the VHP is peddling its concept of ‘love jihad’. Nor is its campaign about love jihad restricted to community events.

In the same year it planning a worship of weapons and HindutvaJagran (awareness) across the country during the Navratri festival for women to counter ‘Love Jihad’

In October 2018, the VHP tested the ‘anti love jihad campaign’ in West Bengal where it raised awareness among Hindu girls and women about how love jihad was employed to target them.

The current war on love jihad started in 2009, when Karnataka state officials demanded an investigation into claims that young Muslim men associated with the Muslim Islamic Popular Front of India and the Campus Front were seducing Hindu and Christian girls solely to convert them. But in November of that year, Karnataka police found there was no such plot.

Things only escalated from there. In July of 2010, Kerala’s then-chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan speculated that Muslim groups such as the Popular Front of India were using “money and marriages to make Kerala a Muslim majority state.” This claim was denounced by the religiously unaligned Congress Party.

In January 2012, Kerala police closed the book on love jihad, calling it a “campaign with no substance,” and pursued legal action against the website hindujagruti.org for “spreading religious hatred and false propaganda.”
 
Related
Fact Finding Team Rebuts ‘Love Jihad’ charge in Afrazul Killing
Hadiya Love Jihad Case
Love Jihad Booklets Peddle Bias
A Candle for Ankit
 

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Image: Navbharat Times

कपड़ों पर दाग पड़ने से रोकने के लिए गौमूत्र के साथ गंगाजल का मिश्रण किया गया था, लेकिन लोगों की नाराजगी छिपी नहीं रही। कुछ लोगों ने तो इसका विरोध नहीं किया लेकिन आईटी विशेषज्ञ देवदत्त सिंह रावल जैसे कई लोगों ने न केवल इसका विरोध किया बल्कि पुलिस भी बुला ली।

उनकी पत्नी जानकी बा बताती हैं- “बजरंग दल वालों ने हमें बाहर निकाल फेंकने की धमकी भी दी। हमारे पास पास था तो वे हमें रोकने वाले कौन होते हैं? कई लोग डर के मारे चुप रहे लेकिन मुझे किसी को साबित करने की ज़रूरत नहीं कि मैं हिंदू हूँ।”

उस समारोह में आमंत्रित सामाजिक न्याय मंत्री केशाजी चौहान का भी स्वागत बजरंद दल वालों ने गौमूत्र छिड़ककर ही किया। बजरंग दल की गांधीनगर इकाई के जिलाध्यक्ष अमित उपाध्याय का कहना है- हम तो चार साल से ये काम कर रहे हैं। लव-जिहाद रोकने के लिए ये तरीका हमने अपनाया है। पहले हम लोग तिलक लगाते थे लेकिन बाद में लगा कि गैर हिंदुओं को दूर रखने के लिए गौमूत्र ज्यादा कारगर है। उपाध्याय के साथ करीब 300 युवाओं की टीम है जो होली और नवरात्रि पर भी “संस्कृति रक्षा” का काम करती है।

अमित उपाध्याय कहते हैं- “हमें पुलिस की परमीशन की ज़रूरत नहीं है। हम अपने धर्म की सेवा कर रहे हैं। जो लोग गौमूत्र छिड़कवाने से इन्कार करेंगे, उन्हें हम बाहर निकाल देंगे।”

जबरन गौमूत्र छिड़कने के बारे में गांधीनगर के डीएसपी विजय पटेल का कहना है- “हमें ऐसी किसी घटना की जानकारी नहीं है। अगर कोई शिकायत हमें मिली तो हम उस पर जरूरी कार्रवाई करेंगे।”

थंगानट गरबा के आयोजक रोहित नायानी किसी विवाद में पड़ने से बचना चाहते हैं। वे कहते हैं, “बजरंग दल वाले पिछले तीन साल से यहाँ आ रहे हैं, लेकिन अब तक उनकी कोई शिकायत नहीं मिली है।”

गरबा में आने वाले सभी आगंतुकों पर गौमूत्र तो छिड़का जा रहा है लेकिन भाजपा से जुड़े अल्पसंख्यक नेताओं को इससे अलग रखा गया। सामाजिक न्याय मंत्री केशाजी चौहान और धर्मगुरु भैयूजी महाराज पर गौमूत्र डाला गया लेकिन उनके साथ आए भाजपा नेता और सूफी संत महबूब अली चिश्ती को बिना गौमूत्र छिड़के अंदर आने दिया गया। बजरंग दल वाले इसके लिए भीड़ का बहाना बनाते हैं।

Courtesy: Ahmedabad Mirror
 

The post गरबा में आने वालों पर गौमूत्र का छिड़काव appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Image: News Nation

Navratri, meaning nine nights, is one of the most popular and widely celebrated Hindu festivals in many parts of India. Gujarat, however, is the only state that erupts into a nine-night dance festival (garba), perhaps the longest in the world. Each night, all over the state, villages and cities alike, people gather in open spaces to celebrate feminine divinity, referred to as Shakti. This year it will begin on 1st October.

Last year, VHP leader Pravin Togadia had demanded that Muslims be banned from garba events, and that the identity cards of every person entering the venue of the event must be checked at the door. “Navratri is the festival of Mother Amba’s prayers and worship, so we cannot allow beef-eating Muslims to enter into garba places,” Togadia had said.

This latest attempt at dividing India into Hindus, Muslims and other religions, comes as a brutal incident played out in Ahmedabad. Earlier this week, some people beat to death a young Muslim man and critically injured another one. The incident took place on September 13 when Mohammad Ayub and Sameer Sheikh were traveling in an Innova car towards Ahmedabad with two calves.
 
The 29-year old succumbed to his injuries and breathed his last week. According to reports while Ayub and Sheikh travelled to Ahmedabad, the gau rakshak mob chased them all of a sudden. It was reported that they pulled them out of the car and thrashed them. The group rammed into their car near Honest T-junction near Karnavati club in Ahmedabad.
 
Now, the organisers of two garba events in Gujarat’s Bharuch district have decided not to allow Muslims at the venue after protests from the VHP. The Bharuch unit of the VHP opposed two garba events which also have Muslims among the organisers. The VHP members handed over a memorandum to the district collector, seeking to ban Muslims at the event for “security” and “law and order” reasons.
 
The organisers of the first event — a real estate group which also has a Muslim partner — said it will check the identity of ticket seekers for the event which is scheduled to be held in October. The real estate group’s partners include: Jaydeepsinh Raj, Jasu Patel and Asif Patel. They are organising a mega garba event at Dudhara dairy ground in Bharuch. Among those invited to the nine-day event, ‘Raas-e-Bharuch’, are actors Jackie Shroff and Zarine Khan.
 
The second event is being organised by Shehzada Shaikh, a social worker, in partnership with two others from the majority community whose names he did not disclose. This event is scheduled to be held at Sonal party plot on College Road.

Jaydeepsinh Raj, organiser of ‘Raas-e-Bharuch’, said, “We partnered with Asif Patel because he has good relations with Bollywood celebrities. Because the VHP is opposing the event, we removed our original banners (for the event) and put up new ones which do not have Asif’s name on them. We have also contacted two private security agencies — one from Bharuch and another from Ahmedabad — for deployment of security personnel on the garba grounds. We will not issue or sell passes to Muslims and the tickets will be given to participants only after they show an identity card. We have also applied for police permission and it will come shortly.”
 
Viral Desai, VHP joint secretary (south Gujarat), who is based in Bharuch, met Bharuch district collector Sandip Sagale, along with other VHP members and handed over a memorandum demanding not to give permission to Muslim organisers of the garba event in the town.
 
Asif Patel, who also is a choreographer and runs a local newspaper, said, “We decided to organise a big Navratri event by inviting Bollywood celebrities. The proceeds from the funds raised through this event will be used in building steps and infrastructure for pilgrims going to Chitra Mata temple on the banks of Narmada river. Our motive was to build communal harmony by organising this event.”
 
However, after the VHP protests, Asif Patel said he will not allow Muslims. “After the VHP’s opposition, we have decided that Muslims should not enter the ground. We will not sell passes or tickets to Muslims. I’m director of the company and my name on the banner was obvious. But since they have objected, we have decided to remove my name. If they demand that I should not enter the ground, I will not be at the venue,” said Asif Patel, adding that the passes for the event are available at Rs 1,200 (for all nine days).

Desai, in his memorandum, cited the Uri terror attacks on army headquarters in Jammu and Kashmir and said that Gujarat was always on high alert. He also cited the murder of BJP leaders Shirish Bengali and Pragnesh Mistry last year, detected by the NIA as an operation by the underworld.
 
The memorandum further said, “Garba festival is important and our religious feelings are attached to it. Some Muslims have taken this festival as a business opportunity and with the help of Hindu partners, they have organised two such events in Bharuch. The motive is clear as they wanted to earn money by organising it and have thus invited Bollywood celebrities.
 
The writer is the editor of Gujarat Siyasat published from Ahmedabad and general secretary, All India Milli council, Gujarat chapter. 

The post Bharuch bows to VHP’s firman: No Muslims at Navratri fest this year appeared first on SabrangIndia.

हिंदुत्व की प्रयोगशाला गुजरात में लगातार `प्रयोग’ हो रहे हैं। पिछले सप्ताह कथित गोरक्षकों ने 29 साल के युवक मोहम्मद अयूब को मार डाला था। अब वीएचपी ने राज्य में नवरात्रों को होने वाले गरबा आयोजनों में मुस्लिमों को न घुसने देने की चेतावनी दी है।

पिछले साल वीएचपी नेता प्रवीण तोगड़िया ने गरबा आयोजनों में मुस्लिमों को न घुसने देने की अपील की थी। इन आयोजन स्थलों के प्रवेश पर ही लोगों की पहचान पत्र की जांच करने को कहा गया था। तोगड़िया ने कहा था कि नवरात्रि मां अम्बे की पूजा-अर्चना का उत्सव है इसलिए बीफ खाने वाले मुस्लिमों को गरबा आयोजनों में न घुसने दिया जाए।

गरबा स्थलों में मुस्लिमों पर पाबंदी का यह नया पैंतरा ऐसे वक्त दिखा है जब गुजरात में हिंदू- मुस्लिमों के बीच खाई और चौड़ी होती जा रही है। माहौल लगातार खराब हो रहा है। पिछले सप्ताह कथित गोरक्षकों ने इनोवा से दो बछड़े लेकर अहमदाबाद जा रहे मोहम्मद अयूब को पीट-पीट कर मार डाला और उसके साथ सफर कर रहे समीर शेख को घायल कर दिया।

बहरहाल, वीएचपी की अपील पर भरूच जिले के दो गरबा आयोजकों ने मुस्लिमों को इसमें न घुसने देने का फैसला किया है। वीएचपी की भरूच यूनिट ने उन दो गरबा आयोजनों का भी विरोध किया है, जिनके आयोजकों में मुस्लिम शामिल हैं।

वीएचपी के कार्यकर्ताओं ने जिलाधिकारी को मेमोरंडम सौंप कर कहा है सुरक्षा और कानून-व्यवस्था के मुद्दे को देखते हुए मुस्लिमों को गरबा स्थलों पर जाने से रोका जाए। पहले आयोजन के आयोजकों में एक रियल एस्टेट ग्रुप भी शामिल है, जिसके मुस्लिम पार्टनर हैं। मंगलवार को इस आयोजक ने ऐलान किया कि यह अक्टूबर में होने वाले गरबा आयोजन के टिकट मांगने वालों के आइडेंटिटी कार्ड चेक करेगा। इस रियल एस्टेट ग्रुप के आयोजकों में जयदीपसिन्ह राज, जसु पटेल और आसिफ पटेल शामिल हैं। ये लोग भरूच के दुधारा डेयरी ग्राउंड में एक मेगा गरबा इवेंट कर रहे हैं। नौ दिन चलने वाले इस आयोजन का नाम रखा गया है `रास-ए-भरूच’। इसमें एक्टर जैकी श्रॉफ और एक्ट्रेस जरीन खान भी शामिल होंगी।

दूसरे इवेंट के आयोजक हैं शहजादा शेख। सामाजिक कार्यकर्ता शेख बहुसंख्यक समुदाय के दो अन्य लोगों के साथ मिल कर यह इवेंट करवा रहे हैं। हालांकि उन्होंने दोनों पार्टनरों का नाम नहीं बताया। यह आयोजन कॉलेज रोड पर सोनल पार्टी प्लॉट में होगा।

`रास-ए-भरूच’ के आयोजक जयदीपसिन्ह राज ने बताया कि उन्होंने आसिफ पटेल को इसलिए पार्टनर बनाया क्योंकि उनके बॉलीवुड के सेलिब्रिटीज के साथ अच्छे संबंध हैं। चूंकि वीएचपी मुस्लिम पार्टनर को साथ लेकर किए जाने वाले गरबा आयोजनों का विरोध रही है इसलिए हमने अपना पुराना बैनर हटा दिया है। जो नया बैनर लगाया गया है उसमें आसिफ का नाम नहीं है। हमने दो प्राइवेट सिक्यूरिटी एजेंसियों से कांट्रेक्ट किया है। एक भरूच की और दूसरी अहमदाबाद की है। दोनों सिक्यूरिटी एजेंसियों के लोग गरबा स्थलों की सुरक्षा में तैनात रहेंगे। जयदीपसिन्ह राज ने कहा कि हम मुस्लिमों को पास या टिकट नहीं देंगे। आयोजन में आने वालों को आइडेंटिटी कार्ड दिखाने पर ही टिकट मिलेगा।

दक्षिण गुजरात में वीएचपी के संयुक्त सचिव विरल शाह ने हाल में कार्यकर्ताओं के साथ भरूच के डिस्ट्रिक्ट कलेक्टर संदीप सगाले से मुलाकात की थी और उन्हें मेमोरंडम देकर कहा था कि मुस्लिमों को गरबा आयोजित करने की इजाजत न दी जाए।
आसिफ पटेल कोरियोग्राफर हैं और एक लोकल अखबार चलाते हैं। उन्होंने कहा, हमने इस बार बॉलीवुड की सेलिब्रिटीज को बुला कर बड़े नवरात्रि आयोजन का फैसला किया है। इसके लिए जो फंड इकट्ठा हुआ है उसका इस्तेमाल नर्मदा नदी के किनारे बने चित्र माता मंदिर तक जाने के लिए सीढ़ियां और दूसरे इन्फ्रास्ट्रक्चर बनेंगे। हम इस आयोजन के जरिये सांप्रदायिक सद्भाव बढ़ाना चाहते हैं। लेकिन वीएचपी के विरोध के बाद आसिफ पटेल ने कहा कि वह मुसलमानों को आयोजन स्थल पर नहीं आने देंगे। मुस्लिमों को इसके टिकट और पास नहीं बेचे जाएंगे। पटेल ने कहा कि मैं कंपनी का डायरेक्टर हूं और जाहिर है मेरा नाम बतौर आयोजक बैनर में होना ही है। अगर वीएचपी विरोध कर रही है तो मैं भी आयोजन स्थल पर नहीं जाऊंगा। पटेल ने बताया कि नौ दिन चलने वाले गरबा आयोजन के पास 1200 रुपये में उपलब्ध हैं।

इधर, देसाई ने जिलाधिकारी को सौंपे मेमोरंडम में कि उड़ी अटैक का हवाला देते हुए कहा है कि गुजरात हमेशा हाई अलर्ट पर रहा है। उन्होंने पिछले साल भाजपा नेताओं शिरीष बंगाली और प्राग्नेश मिस्त्री की हत्याओं का हवाला दिया और कहा कि एनआईए की जांच में पता चला कि यह अंडरवर्ल्ड की करतूत थी।

मेमोरडंम में यह भी कहा गया है कि गरबा उत्सव हमारे लिए अहम है और यह हमारी धार्मिक भावनाओं से जुड़ा है। लेकिन कुछ मुसलमानों ने ऐसे आयोजनों को हथिया लिया है और अपने हिंदू पार्टनरों के साथ मिल कर इसे पैसे कमाने का धंधा बना दिया है। वे भरूच में ऐसे दो आयोजन कर रहे हैं। साफ है कि उनका मकसद पैसा कमाना है। यही वजह है कि वे इनमें बॉलीवुड सेलिब्रिटीज को बुला रहे हैं। 

The post गुजरात में वीएचपी का नया पैंतरा गरबा में मुस्लिमों पर पाबंदी का ऐलान appeared first on SabrangIndia.