There are no reported complaints from any Muslim that they were on streets – with or without any work – and got coloured. They changed the timing of their congregational Jumma Namaz in the Holy month of Ramazan – to accommodate the Hindus observing their festival – and some might have decided to forgo their obligatory prayers.

The Hindu nationalists in Sambhal (UP), and in other BJP ruled states had the streets entirely to themselves till they wanted. Chaupai, a Holi procession passed peacefully through 10 mosques in Sambhal, including the border wall of Shahi Jama Masjid (Pragynesh, 2025). The BJP MLA from Bihar – Haribhushan Thakur Bachol – made a similar appeal on the legislative assembly premises, asking Muslims to stay indoors on the day of Holi (Pandey, 2025). No one from the BJP or their alliance partners in Bihar, including JD(U) condemned the statement.

Hansraj Meena (25) in Dausa (Rajasthan) ventured out and despite his objection, colour was forcibly applied on him. He died after being assaulted by three persons who applied colour on him. Meena should have remained indoors but he ventured out to go to a library to prepare for his state civil service exams. He did not heed the advice of Dy.S.P. Chaudhary (Khan, 2025).

Provocative slogans were raised during Shimga festival on 13th March, 2025, when Madachi Miravnuk, an old Konkani ritual, when tree trunks are carried to the Dhopeshwar temple in Rajapur (Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra) on the eve of Holi. Those carrying the tree trunk rammed into the mosque gate several times while raising provocative slogans (Express News Service, 2025). Muslims staying indoors did not protect this mosque.

UP police had to baton charge the traditional ‘Laat Sahab’ procession in Shahjahanpur district as those participating in the procession threw brickbats on the police, injuring three of them. Trouble started when those playing Holi threw footwears at the police (Rozana Sahafat, 2025). In Unnao (UP), drunk Holi revellers threw brickbats at the police in which three police officers were injured. To control them, police used their batons to disperse them. In the baton charge, many revellers were injured (Rozana Sahafat, 2025). In the traditional Phag procession in Gunj Muradabad village, on 14th March 2025, they were singing objectionable songs. At the conclusion of the procession, some drunk youth started teasing and playing mischief. When police resorted to mild baton charge, they started throwing brickbats at police. At least three police personnel were injured due to the brickbats thrown at them (Rozana Sahafat, 2025). Muslims remaining indoors did not save the police or the drunken brawls resorted by the revelrs.

On 13th March 2025, on the eve of Holi festival, a man in Dombivili, a distant suburb of Mumbai, attacked a 17-year-old boy when a water balloon allegedly thrown by him landed on the man (Press Trust of India, 2025). This man in Dombivili did not heed the advice of the Dy. S.P. of Sambhal resulting in unnecessary conflict.

Does policing and maintaining law and order mean asking law abiding citizens from marginalized communities to remain indoors, while the potential law breakers from more powerful and dominant sections of the society have the freedom to indulge in revelry even in violation of law endangering peace? In the same vein, women are asked to remain indoors if they do not want to be sexually assaulted.

This approach also encourages those who believe in ‘might is right’ doctrine to be law unto themselves. The Dy.S.P. of Sambhal Anuj Kumar Chaudhary is seen in the viral video taking note of the fact that during the Holi festival people consume bhang (cannabis) and therefore mishaps of forcibly applying colours on Muslims might occur. However, he does not warn the consumers of cannabis. Will the police advice Indians who do not want to be killed in a potential road accident to remain indoors on the eve of new year celebrations as the likelihood of drunken driving increases?

Muslims are not the only victims during the Holi festival. Many Hindus do not like to be coloured. Women also are vary of Holi festival as they too are targeted by strangers against their wish on the pretext that everything is permissible during Holi. They say “Bura Na Mano Holi Hai”. The BJP and Hindu nationalists use the occasion to communally polarize people and assert dominance of Hindus. However, the moot question is, shouldn’t we take note of what damage such an approach will do to the Hindu religion and ethics? Not long ago, these festivals were celebrated peacefully with participation of people from all communities. This writer has also enjoyed playing Holi in his school days, and indeed taking part in all other festivals of all religious communities. The unprecedented and massive deployment of police force now necessary since a decade tells its own story. Holi is such a beautiful festival in which one reminds oneself to burn all negative feelings and instincts like acquisitive desires, selfishness, jealousy, fear, hatred into the Holi fire. Mughal emperors too played Holi with their Durbaris for days together and called it Eid-e-Gulabi. Amir Khusro and many Muslim poets have composed beautiful verses on Holi.

Source:  Weaponising The Holi Festival For Communal Polarisation

Courtesy: New Age Islam

The post Mughal Emperors Played Holi And Called It Eid-e-Gulabi appeared first on SabrangIndia.

One of the most poignant representations of Holi’s true spirit came in 2019 when Unilever’s Surf Excel released an advertisement under its ‘Daag Achhe Hain’ campaign. The ad featured a young Hindu girl riding a bicycle through a neighbourhood, allowing herself to be drenched in Holi colours to protect her Muslim friend, who needed to reach the mosque for prayers. The tagline ‘Agar kuch achha karne mein daag lag jaaye, toh daag achhe hain’ (if stains are acquired while doing something good, then stains are good) beautifully encapsulated the essence of Holi—not just as a festival of colour but as a celebration of love and kindness. The parting words of the girl, “Baad me rang padhega!” (I will colour you later!), reinforced a powerful message of unity in diversity.

Despite its heart-warming message, the advertisement faced backlash from right-wing groups who falsely accused it of promoting ‘love jihad.’ The orchestrated outrage exposed the growing intolerance and the weaponisation of Hindu festivals against minorities. Instead of seeing the advertisement for what it was—a message of inclusivity—it became another excuse to stoke communal tensions.

Courageous & Amazing Holi Ad In New India

Save This Ad First, maybe the Company will be forced to remove the Ad.#Holi2025 #INDvsNZ #ChampionsTrophy2025 #BuyNothing3aOnFlipkartNow pic.twitter.com/xJ3wqJAVPr

— তন্ময় l T͞anmoy l (@tanmoyofc) March 11, 2025

Political leaders fuelling divisiveness

This calculated push to divide communities through festivals is now openly endorsed by political figures. BJP leaders have increasingly made inflammatory statements about Holi and Muslim participation in public life. Raghuraj Singh, a BJP leader, went as far as suggesting that Muslim men should wear tarpaulin hijabs if they wished to avoid Holi colours. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath defended a police officer who told Muslims to stay indoors if they did not wish to be smeared with colours, rather than condemning such open communal bias. His words further reinforced the idea that India’s religious minorities are expected to either assimilate into the dominant narrative or be excluded from public spaces.

In Sambhal, Deputy Superintendent of Police Anuj Kumar Chaudhary suggested that since Holi coincided with Jumma namaz, Muslims should refrain from coming out onto the streets if they did not wish to be coloured. “There are 52 Fridays in a year, but Holi comes only once. Hindus wait for Holi just as Muslims wait for Eid,” he argued, implying that one festival was more important than another. Such statements, rather than ensuring communal harmony, deepen the divide and send a clear message—minorities must conform or be side-lined.

BJP MLA Haribhushan Thakur Bachaul echoed this sentiment, suggesting that Muslims should simply stay indoors if they did not wish to be smeared with colours. His dismissive remarks about the religious practices of Muslims, particularly during Ramadan, reveal an underlying disdain for the coexistence of multiple faiths. His rhetoric was amplified by the Dharam Raksha Sangh, a Hindutva outfit based in Vrindavan, which called for a ban on Muslim participation in Holi celebrations in key pilgrimage towns like Mathura and Barsana, falsely portraying Muslims as a threat to the festival’s sanctity.

Calls for exclusion and hatred

The situation escalated further when Dinesh Sharma, a Hindutva hardliner, penned a letter in his own blood to Yogi Adityanath, urging a ban on Muslim participation in Braj’s Holi celebrations. His letter contained baseless allegations that Muslims ‘spit on sweets’ and ‘adulterate colours,’ playing into dangerous and unfounded stereotypes designed to alienate the community further. He argued that just as restrictions were imposed on Muslim vendors during the Mahakumbh, similar measures should be implemented for Holi to ‘preserve its sanctity.’ These extremist narratives are not only divisive but also seek to erase the long history of shared traditions between Hindus and Muslims in India.

Opposition pushback and the struggle for harmony

Despite the rising tide of communal rhetoric, voices of reason continue to push back. Opposition leaders such as Tejashwi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) condemned BJP leaders for their divisive statements, questioning their authority to dictate who could or could not step out during Holi. “Who is he to say such things? Does this country belong to his father?” Yadav asked, highlighting the audacity with which right-wing politicians seek to control public spaces.

Congress MLA Anand Shankar also slammed BJP leaders, likening them to ancient forces of evil who tried to interfere in religious rituals for their gain. “This country runs on the Constitution, not on their divisive politics,” he asserted. Bihar Minority Affairs Minister Zama Khan assured that no harm would come to any community and that the administration had been instructed to ensure peace during the festival.

Festivals should unite, not divide

India has always thrived on its shared celebrations. Holi, much like Eid, Lohri, Diwali and Christmas, is a time when communities come together to forget differences and embrace one another. Yet, the increasing communalisation of festivals has put this cherished pluralism at risk. The statements by right-wing leaders and organisations reflect a broader attempt to redefine Indian identity along exclusionary lines—wherein minorities are made to feel unwelcome, their traditions dismissed, and their presence in public spaces questioned.

It is imperative to reject this divisive rhetoric and embrace the true spirit of our festivals—where colours do not mark religious boundaries but symbolise the joy of shared existence. The Surf Excel ad, despite the backlash, reminded us of an India where kindness transcends religious divides. That is the India we must strive to protect—one where festivals are moments of unity, not battlegrounds for political agendas.

Related:

Hindutva push for ‘Jhatka’ meat is a Brahminical & anti-Muslim agenda

Surviving Communal Wrath: Women who have defied the silence, demanded accountability from the state

Leaders and the spread of divisive narratives

The post Colours of Discord: How Holi is being turned into a battleground for hate and exclusion appeared first on SabrangIndia.

BARABANKI: In line with the age-old tradition, Holi was celebrated at the Dargah of 19th century Sufi saint Haji Waris Ali Shah in Dewa town of Barabanki district, 25 kilometres from state capital Lucknow, by scores of Hindus of Muslims who showered each other with flower petals, abeer and gulal, on Wednesday.

The only Sufi shrine in the country where Holi is played, Dewa Sharif is known for its Hindu-Muslim unity with the priests here wearing traditional Hindu yellow robes (pitambar).

It is not recorded as to when this tradition started here, but it should be over a century old.

Wamiq Warsi, head of Halqai Fuqrai Warsi Astana Aliya Dewa Sharif, a committee of Sufi saints, said, “Dewa Sharif is a place of universal brotherhood and peace. The message of Paigham-e-Mohabbat that goes from here since the time of Haji Waris Ali Shah is very clear and poignant – that the one who loves us is ours. And today, on the basis of that, thousands of people come to Dewa Sharif to celebrate Holi and then pay their respects to the holy deity. This tradition has been going on since the time of our ancestors. In today’s time, this Holi celebration of Dewa Sharif sets a great example of unity and brotherhood in the country.”

The Holi juloos (procession) commences in the morning from the Qaumi Ekta Dwar in Dewa with flowers. It circles the town and then reaches the mausoleum around noon. By this time, gathers on the premises and Holi is played with rose petals, gulaal and abeer.

Anurag Tiwari, a local who has played Holi at the shrine for many years, said, “Devotion and love are parts of all faiths. Here at the dargah of Haji sa’ab (as the sufi saint is referred to), we profess our love for a kind elderly who has watched our back for over a century. We share our joys, fears and grief with him.”

Courtesy: New Age Islam

The post Hindus, Muslims Play Holi at Sufi Shrine in UP appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The celebration of Holi in India is often marred by incidents of molestation and harassment as the phrase “Bura na mano Holi Hai” (Don’t feel bad, it is Holi) is used to justify all such criminal acts where more often than not, women become the target.

Several incidents of violence, molestation, harassment of minorities and women surfaced on social media between March 7 and 8 when Holi was celebrated across different parts of the country.

It was reported that Delhi’s Police Control Room received over 35,000 complaints on Holi while on an average they receive 24,000 complaints daily. These complaints included 211 cases of eve teasing, 40 cases of shootouts, 142 cases of stabbing, 46 cases of road rage, 21 cases of rape and 11 cases of murder, reported India Today.

In Kolkata, the police arrested over 400 people for disorderly conduct during Holi. Majority of the arrests were related to drunken brawl, blocking roads while playing Holi, drinking in the open and creating nuisance, reported Telegraph India.

A journalist at Dainik Bhaskar, Rajesh Sahu shared a picture of a mosque in UP clothed in green and wrote that the Muslims in UP are not even reassured by their Hindu brothers that their mosques will not be desecrated during Holi and hence they had to cover the mosque.

यूपी के जिन स्थानों पर मस्जिदें ढकी गई हैं वहां के हिन्दू समाज के लोग मुस्लिमों का इतना भी भरोसा नहीं जीत पाए कि कह सके, “मत ढको, हम कुछ भी ऐसा नहीं करेंगे जिससे मस्जिद को नुकसान हो।”

एक आदर्श समाज बनाने में हम आज भी पीछे रह गए हैं। pic.twitter.com/8EpvbBGjbZ

— Rajesh Sahu (@askrajeshsahu) March 7, 2023

A show ran on Sudarshan News with the title “Mulle Holi Milan me Ayenge lekin Rang nahi lagayenge” (Mullas[derogatory term used for Muslims] will come for Holi but will not allow you to put colour on them). In the comment below, Sudarshan news corrected the word and wrote instead of “mulle” the word should be “kathmulle” (another, rather worse, derogatory term used for Muslims referring to their practice of male circumcision).

मुल्ले होली मिलन में आएंगे लेकिन रंग नहीं लगाएंगे । देखिये शाम 6 बजे @guptasambhav1 के साथ pic.twitter.com/F6Jg4l6kc8

— Sudarshan News (@SudarshanNewsTV) March 6, 2023

Another video was of burqa clad women sitting in an e-rickshaw, in Bareilly, UP who were doused with water, despite protesting it. Many young boys can be seen surrounding the rickshaw and while one woman was seemingly reprimanding the boys, another came from the other side and poured water on the other woman sitting with her.

Muslim women riding in an e-rickshaw were doused with water, and when the women objected, the water was repeatedly poured on them. then this video is posted by Hindu nationalists on FB along with a song. The song is about adding colours to women’s blouses and the whole body. pic.twitter.com/YthNNEbYEp

— Ayesha Rehman (@journoayesha) March 8, 2023

Provocative songs were played during Holi celebration reportedly in Bhagwanpur village in Shravasti district of UP. The locals were mocking Muslims and playing the song during a procession, which had the words “Jo Ukhad Sako to Ukhad lo Sun lo Mulla jii” (Listen Mulla,  do whatever you want to).

“Jo Ukhad Sako to Ukhad lo Sun lo Mulla jii”

On the occasion of #Holi, local #Hindus held a procession in #BhagwanPur village in the #Shravasti district of #UttarPradesh & played provocative songs on the DJ.

Then can’t even celebrate their festivals without targeting #Muslims. pic.twitter.com/9z4bJg3wi4

— Hate Detector ? (@HateDetectors) March 8, 2023

It is a song by Sandeep Acharya and it is available to be played on popular apps like Apple Music and Spotify!

Another video was posted where a man can be seen forcibly applying colours to his sister in law, while she is clearly uncomfortable. This amounts to molestation and outraging the modesty of a woman

Ridiculous behaviour!!! Is this a culture or harassment?#InternationalWomensDay #HappyHoli #WomensDay #HappyWomensDay2023 #HappyHoli2023 pic.twitter.com/wj2nUGIA5a

— Hate Detector ? (@HateDetectors) March 8, 2023

There was also a video showing the culture of Hindus during Holi where women are made to stand while men sing abusive songs at them. There are smiles on the faces of all the onlookers including the women, as they have accepted this abhorrent practice as their culture. Another video also came up of a similar practice where the men were once again singing some limericks extremely derogatory, obscene and sexual in nature while also including the name of God in it by saying “Bolo Radhe Govind” (Hailing Radha-Krishna)

TRIGGER WARNING! This video has explicit spoken words:

Trigger Warning – Abusive Language

The great Hindu culture of Sanatan Dharma. patriarchal society has always been against women.. pic.twitter.com/vbK713Uptj

— The Dalit Voice (@ambedkariteIND) March 6, 2023

Holi, a festival of colours is supposed to be a joyous occasion but it is often marred by such incidents where men forget “consent” and in the name of applying colours, use force and end up violating the dignity of another human being. While women are often the victims in such cases, even minorities are starting to become targets now.

Related:

Pakistan: Atleast 15 Hindu students left injured after being attacked for celebrating Holi

Who Says Holi Is Just A Hindu Festival? Muslim Scholars, Sufi Mystics, Mughal Emperors, Not To Speak Of Common Muslims, They All Celebrated Holi

The post Molestation, harassment: the un-Holiness of a festival appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Festivals in India weren’t events of a religious nature, but rather cultural celebrations. The divisive discourse concerning religious festivals was introduced by the colonial rulers, which has now become institutionalised with time. Today, in India, if a Muslim celebrates Holi or Diwali, he may be excommunicated by members of his community. The same holds true for a Hindu who chooses to celebrate Muslim festivals. In fact, the issue of festivals and celebrating them has also led to communal riots in the country.

We were not always like this. On the occasion of Holi, I will argue that until a few decades ago, Muslims considered it an Indian festival rather than a Hindu one, using poems by Nazeer Banarasi.

On Holi here is a look at how Urdu poet Nazeer Banarasi wove the festival of colours into his verses

Nazeer Banarasi, who practised Unani medicine, was born in Varanasi in 1925. This eminent Urdu poet has written extensively about the nation, its festivals, and politics. In his poems one can sense the flavour of Varanasi’s culture. Not only he has written at least four poems describing how the festival of colours was celebrated, but he has also employed it as a metaphor and simile in his other works.

During the Chinese aggression in 1962, he addressed the nation to celebrate Holi of a different sort. He writes:

Nayi Tarah Holi Manao To Aayen

Vatan Ke Liye Khuun Bahao To Aayen

(I will come, if you celebrate Holi in a new fashion

If you shed your blood for the nation, I will come)

Banarasi has compared Holi to laying down one’s life for the nation, thus envisioning a new way to celebrate the festival.

In another poem titled ‘Mana Len Pehle Holiyan Diwali Phir Manayenge’, he urges the youth of the country to take up arms against the Chinese aggressors and play Holi with the enemies’ blood. He asks:

Lahu Se Phaag Khel Kar Gharon Ko Jagmagayenge

Shikast De Ke Dushmanon Ko Qumqumen Jalayenge

Mana Len Pehle Holiyan Diwali Phir Manayenge

(Houses will be illuminated after we play colours with blood

We will light up the lamps after defeating the enemies

First let us celebrate Holi and Diwali will be celebrated afterwards)

Holi and Diwali assume the shape of metaphors, which enable the poet to reach a larger audience.

Nazeer Banarasi has also written many devotional poems in praise of Lord Krishna. In one such poem, ‘Hume To Shyam Ne Holi Khila Ke Luut Liya’ (Krishna robbed us through Holi), he writes:

Hai Shaam Holi Ki, Lagta Hai Dil Pe Teer Pe Teer

Gulaal Khaak Udata Hai Aur Dhool Abeer

Chhadega Rang Pe Na Mere Koi Nazeer

Har Ek Rang Se Rangeen Bana Ke Luut Liya

Mujhe To Shyam Ne Holi Khila Ke Luut Liya

(It is Holi evening, arrows pierce the heart

Coloured powder has replaced the soil

Nobody can match my majestic complexion

He robbed me after colouring me better than any colour

Shyam robbed me after playing Holi with me)

As is evident, Radha is talking about Lord Krishna. Banarasi uses the setting of Holi to visualise divine love.

Apart from the use of Holi as a figure of speech, Banarasi has written a few poems solely describing festivities. In a poem titled ‘Holi’, he calls it a day to forget enmities:

Kahīñ Paḍe Na Mohabbat Kī Maar Holī Meñ

Adā Se Prem Karo Dil Se Pyaar Holī Meñ

Gale Meñ Daal Do Bāñhoñ Kā Haar Holī Meñ

Utāro Ek Baras Kā Ḳhumār Holī Meñ

(Look, there should not be dearth of love on Holi

Show affection through coquetry and love with your heart on Holi

Embrace with your arms on Holi

End the intoxication of the whole year on Holi)

Milo Gale Se Gale Baar Baar Holī Meñ

(Hug each other again and again on Holi)

Burāī Aaj Na Aise Rahe Na Vaise Rahe

Safāī Dil Meñ Rahe Aaj Chāhe Jaise Rahe

Ġhubār Dil Meñ Kisī Ke Rahe To Kaise Rahe

Abiir Uḍtī Hai Ban Kar Ġhubār Holī Meñ

(Wickedness will not remain in any form today

Piety remains in the heart in whatever form

How the impurity will stay in any heart

Impurities fly away with the colours on Holi)

In another poem ‘Ghazal Me Holi’ (Holi in a poem), he says:

Jab Dil Na Milne Paaye To Milne Se Fayda

Dil Ka Milan Zaruri Hai Holi Milan Ke Sath

(If hearts don’t meet, what is the point of meeting

The meeting of hearts is necessary after a Holi meet)

For him, Holi is an occasion to renew relationships and forget enmities.

In another poem titled ‘Holi Jawani Ki Boli Me’ (Holi in the words of youth), he describes it as an occasion of amusement.

ye boTī parī ban ke uḌne lagegī

zarā gholiye phir se gholī na hogī

(This cannabis will fly away like a fairy

Stir it again, it might not have dissolved)

As a resident of Varanasi, Nazeer Banarasi considers Thandai, which is made from Bhaang, an integral part of the celebration.

Banarasi is just one of the many Muslim Urdu poets from the 20th century who revered Hindu deities and Indian festivals. These writings are a reflection of the composite culture of India. As divisive politics tries to pit religions against each other, it is our duty to look back at our glorious past of mutual respect and brotherhood. To sum up, here is a poem which presents the spirit of India as Banarasi imagined it:

Mandir Me Gajar Baj Jata Tha Masjid Me Azaan Ho Jaati Thi

Jab Chandni Raato Me Hum Tum Ganga Ke Kinare Hote The

(Bells of the temple rang and the Azan was called from the mosque

When on a full moon night we used to be on the banks of Ganges)

—–

Saquib Salim  is an independent socio-political commentator and historian

Courtesy: New Age Islam

The post Nazeer Banarasi: Muslim Urdu Poet From The 20th Century Who Celebrated Indian Festivals Like Holi appeared first on SabrangIndia.

At least fifteen students from Pakistan’s minority Hindu community were injured when they were attacked by members of a radical Islamic student organisation Islami Jamiat Tulba (IJT). The said incident occurred when the Hindu students were celebrating Holi at the University of Karachi. It is being alleged that this was the second such incident in two days. A number of videos have surfaced on the social networking platform showing the IJT attacking Hindu communities even after the students obtained permission from the administration to celebrate Holi.

The police had received an application to open a case against the attacker. According to Siasat, other videos show security guards wielding batons and beating students as they flee the scene.

Following the incident, a University of Karachi official confirmed that there was a mishap in the Sindhi department where Hindus and other students were celebrating Holi and throwing colored powder at each other, when some students attacked and injured them. The official went on to say that they are investigating the incident because it is completely against their policies.

An unnamed Hindu girl student, dressed in a mask with other students, later posted a video on Twitter detailing the entire incident. As per Siasat, she stated that IJT activists attacked students celebrating Holi in the hall and beat some of them.  She further provided that the attackers also harassed female students, forcing them to leave the place. She said that the Hindu students had assembled to celebrate the Holi festival, and she wants the government and varsity to take action against those responsible.

According to Telangana Today, the Sindh Council General Secretary Kashif Brohi stated in response to the incident that members of the Hindu community and the council had organised a Holi celebration after obtaining permission from the university administration. He claimed that IJT activists began hurling threats after students posted Holi invitations on their Facebook page. He claimed that on Monday morning, members of the Sindh Council and the Hindu community were celebrating Holi outside PU Law College when IJT activists wielding guns and batons attacked them.

Brohi went on to say that the students later gathered outside the vice chancellor’s office to protest when security guards arrived with batons and began beating them. According to Telangana Today, he also claimed that security guards bundled four to five students into their vans, preventing them from recording their peaceful protest.

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Under the guise of cow protection: reports of assault, illegal restraint against Muslims

Pakistan Lynching: Muslims Should Call Out Their Own Theology

DGPs reports flag radical Hindu and Islamist outfits as issues in law and order

The post Pakistan: Atleast 15 Hindu students left injured after being attacked for celebrating Holi appeared first on SabrangIndia.

If anyone tried to understand India in its entirety from the prism of a ‘culture friendly Islam’, with all its diversity, festivals, cultural manifestations and artistic expressions, it was the Sufi Mystics who mainly came from Central Asia and some parts of Arabia. Remarkably, these Arab scholars and Persian saints did not attempt to ‘Arabise’ Islam in India, something that today’s self-appointed custodians of Islam are hell-bent on doing. On the contrary, a gamut of mediaeval Muslim scholars including Abu Rayhan al-Biruni, an Iranian historian and polymath during the Islamic Golden Age, author of the first Arabic treatise on Indian History (Kitab ul Hind) and popularly known as the “founder of Indology”, made remarkable contributions to exploration and promotion of the Indian civilization and its vibrant cultural heritage.

In this context, some Sufi Mystics and Scholars should find special mention, because of their practical endeavours to uphold this historic movement. They not only wrote books about the history and culture of India in Arabic, Turkish and Persian languages but also celebrated the various festivals of India including Diwali, Basant Panchami and Holi in order to strengthen the composite culture and social fabric of the country.

While the famous Sufi saint of Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia and his closest disciple Ameer Khusrau started a beautiful tradition of the Sufi Basant at their Khanqah or shrine (known as Dargah Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia), Dewa Sharif in Uttar Pradesh is India’s famous Dargah where Holi is celebrated as “Eid-e-Gulabi” with no less fervour than in other Indian faith traditions.

The holy Qur’an says:

صِبْغَةَ اللَّهِ ۖ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللَّهِ صِبْغَةً ﴿١٣٨﴾

(Allah’s colouring! And who gives better colouring than Allah?” Surah al-Baqarah: 138)

From the above verse in the Qur’an, some Sufi Mystics derived a very interesting understanding of the colours and their significance in the Indian setting. They infer that Colours should have no religious distinctions, nor should they have any caste or creed. But rather, they should be celebrated as the glaring signs of God. Thus, they took the Indian festival of Holi as an occasion which assures us that all the faces should be painted in the beautiful colours and that all colours belong to Allah.

Thus, Sufis were the first to conceive the Festival of Colours in Islam as “Eid-e-Gulabi” which is known in the modern Arabic as Eid-ul-Alwan. While in the Hindu tradition, Holi is celebrated as the festival of Divine Love, and the Festival of Spring, which celebrates the eternal and divine love between Radha and Krishna, the Sufi notion of Holi is more nuanced. It seeks to instil our collective spiritual consciousness in India. For decades, Muslims along with the Hindu devotees come together to celebrate the Sufi Holi as Eid-e-Gulabi at the sanctum of Dewa Sharif. A custodian of this Dargah, Ghani Shah, asserts that it was Waris Piya who exhorted his disciples to celebrate the Holi and show respect to every Indian religion as a spiritual foundation based on the mutual feelings of love and respect.

Born into the 26th generation of Imam Hussain, Sarkar Waris-e-Pak, more popularly known as ‘Waris Piya’ was the founder of Warsi Silsila in modern period of Indian Sufism. As a learned successor to the prominent Sufi order — Qadriyya-Razzakiyya, and well versed in classical Islamic sciences, Waris Piya was a widely travelled Sufi master for people from across the country, as well as the different countries, irrespective of faith and creed.

Noted Warisi scholar, Mr. Ghafur Shah writes in his book: “The Blessed Lord Haji Syed Waris Ali Shah,” that Waris Piya undertook the Hajj pilgrimage several times, and also paid extensive visits to the West, especially the European countries, including Germany, England and Turkey. During his travels to Europe, Waris Piya also met the Sultan of Turkey and Bismarck of Berlin, and had an audience with Queen Victoria in England.

A close relative in Waris Pak’s family lineage Prof. Wahajuddin Alwi, former Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Languages, told this writer: “Since Waris Piya wanted people in India to transcend religious/sectarian divides, he participated in Hindu festivals like Holi. His non-Muslim Mureeds and regular disciples included Raja Udyat Narayan Sing, raja of Oudh, Thakur Pancham Singh Talukdar of Eta, Pandit Deendaar Shah of Indore, Sahaj Ram Dixit, Thakur Grur Mohan Singh, a Zamindar of Bhagalpur. They were spiritually in parallel with his Muslim bureaucrat Mureeds such as governor general Ghulam Mohammad and Justice Sharfuddin.”

Another Sufi Mystic who celebrated the Holi in his own spiritual way was the 18th-century popular Punjabi poet Bulle Shah. He composed beautiful couplets invoking the spiritual blessings from Allah and his holy Prophet (pbuh) for playing the Holi, as can be seen below:

Hori Kheluungii, Kah Bismillah.

Naam Nabi Ki Ratn Charii,

Buund Pari Allah Allah.

(I start playing Holi with the recitation of Bismillah. Covered with the light of Prophet’s name, and showered by blessings of Allah)

Not only the Sufi saints of the Indian subcontinent, in fact the Mughal emperors celebrated the Holi with great gusto. Prominent Muslim historian Zakaullah writes how the founder of the Mughal Empire Zahiruddin Muhammad Babur, used to take great interest in the Holi celebrations. Similarly, Emperor Akbar would collect beautiful squirts and syringes of different sizes throughout the year in anticipation. This was one of the rare occasions when Akbar would come out from his fort and play Holi with even the commoners, as Abul Fazal writes in Ain-e Akbari. Furthermore, it is mentioned in Tuzk-e-Jahangiri that Jahangir also celebrated Holi and organised musical gatherings.

Even Aurangzeb Alamgir, who is otherwise known as an orthodox and intolerant Muslim ruler, appreciated the colours of Holi. It is surprising to note what Lane Poole writes in his book, “Aurangzeb and the Decay of the Mughal Empire”:

During his (Aurangzeb’s) time, there used to be several groups of Holi singers who besides reciting libertine lyrics also indulged in salaciousness, accompanied by various musical instruments.”

Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal Emperor allowed his Hindu ministers to smear his forehead with gulal on Holi. Historic Urdu daily “Jaam-e-Jahanuma”, reported in 1844 that during the days of the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, special arrangements were made for those who celebrated Holi.

Bahadur Shah Zafar, who was also an Urdu poet par excellence, wrote these fabulous verses on the Festival of Colours which are sung as a part of the Phaag (folk songs of Holi):

Kyo Mo Pe Rang Ki Maari Pichkaari

Dekho Kunwar Ji Doongi Mein Gaari

(Why drench me with colour spray,)

Now my prince, I will swear at you)

Bahut Dinan Mein Haath Lage Ho Kaise Jane Doon

Aaj Phagwa To Son Ka Tha Peeth Pakad Kar Loon.

(After long have I’ve got my hands on you, how will I let you go?

Today is Holi, and perfect time to catch hold of you)

Much against the common perception among today’s Muslims in India, these Muslim scholars, saints and emperors believed that their religion would not be affected by the celebration of this Indian festival in a peaceful and permissible manner. Who says Holi is a Hindu festival? asks Munshi Zakaullah in his book “Tarikh-e-Hindustani”.

A regular columnist with NewAgeIslam.com Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi is an Alim and Fazil (classical Islamic scholar). Having graduated from a leading Islamic seminary of India, Jamia Amjadia Rizvia (Mau, U.P.), he is now pursuing his PhD from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.

Courtesy: New Age Islam

The post Who Says Holi Is Just A Hindu Festival? Muslim Scholars, Sufi Mystics, Mughal Emperors, Not To Speak Of Common Muslims, They All Celebrated Holi appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The festival of colors, Holi is here and soon all over one message is set to boom across – ‘Bura na maano, Holi hai (It’s Holi, take no offense).” However, we have been slow to realize what a travesty of consent the above slogan is. Starting by being normalized through Bollywood, the idea of a woman’s consent washed off faster that the color on her. From then to now has come such a time that this festival is now been given a communal colour by the right-wing saffron brigade.

We tell you why the celebration of Holi in its current form is a threat to women throughout India.

For decades, the slogan, “Bura na maano Holi hai”, is being seen as a free pass by some to take advantage of women. They see it as a free pass to touch women inappropriately, either forcefully smearing color on them by approaching them on roads or aiming balloons with ingredients apart from water, at their breasts and genitals. It is during this celebration – one that signifies good over evil – that women have reported being groped, molested and in some cases, raped by men.  In 2018, in New Delhi, a woman was pelted with semen filled balloons on her way home, reported PAPERMAG. In a 2018, Guardian repor, a young woman was attacked by a group of men on the day of the festival, but she was casually dismissed by a policeman on complaining saying they couldn’t do anything about it. A 1996 report by Delhi University on sexual harassment showed how instances of sexual assault peaked during Holi, with 60.5% women on campus telling of aggravated violence on the day of the festival. In 2016, the Delhi Police’s control room received 21 calls complaining of rape and molestation, including three rape cases that were reported by minors on the festival.

To top it all, this normalization of not seeking consent, has seeped in from Bollywood. Writing about women’s chunaris (stoles) and cholis (blouses), Bollywood, through its song, dance and music slyly shoved in close up shots of women’s wet bosoms in songs with heroes like Rajesh Khanna singing, “Chaahe bheege terei chunariya, chaahe bheege re choli, khelenge hum holi” and Priyanka Chopra singing to her own husband Akshay Kumar in Waqt, “Jaa re jaa, don’t touch my choli. Uff ye holi”.

Another reflection of a man taking pleasure from a woman’s harassment on Holi comes through this song from Mohabbatein, where the lyrics say –

Soni soni akhiyon wali
Dil de jaa ya de jaa tu gaali
Ja Kudiye jo kar le
Gora badan tera rang diya
(O one with the beautiful eyes,
Either give me your heart or give me abuses,
Go do whatever you can,
I have coloured your fair body.)

Another song from the 90s, Ang se Ang Lagana, went something like this –

Rapat likhaado rapat likhaado thane meh
Hum bhar denge jurmaana
Ang se ang lagana
Sajan humein aise rang lagana
(File the FIR, file the FIR,
I’ll go to the station to pay the fine,
Touch every part of my body with yours,
O beloved, colour me thus.)

In all these songs, women are objectified and aggressive male sexuality is on display with the man picking the woman up without her will or overpowering her in some other way. Writing for Feminism in India, Shrishti Malhotra mentions that most of the songs begin with the male actor dancing and coloured, while women actors making their entry completely free of colour. If playing with colours is symbolic of people freely enjoying their sexuality and not being coloured symbolises sexual control, then these songs portray men as having no sexual control – for this control is irrelevant. However, for the sake of their individual and societal ‘honour’, women have to be careful about that control, relinquishing it when pushed to the brink by the leading men’s harassment misrepresented as charm.

And now, given the current atmosphere in the country, the saffron brigade, mostly from the Hindi belt in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have started to give the festival a communal colour.

One such example is the rampant dissemination of a song by Sandeep Acharya who calls himself to be Hinduvadi. His song targets Muslim women saying even if you come out on the streets with your brother, we will forcibly smear colour on you.

The song has spread like wildfire on popular social media apps like TikTok and Facebook with sexist and misogynistic captions.

Many Muslims in India don’t play Holi by choice. Not just Muslims, even practicing Catholic nuns, Jain Sadhvis and Khalsa Sikhs don’t celebrate the festival. Practicing Muslims who are in their religious attire which is worn for prayers don’t play holi because having clean clothes and clean body is precondition for Namaz.

In 2019, when the brand Surf Excel came out with an advertisement promoting the sentiment ‘Rang Laaye Sang’ (colours bring us together), by depicting a Hindu girl cleverly getting her friends to douse her in colours so that her Muslim friend could safely go for namaz, Hindutva supporters slashed the ad for promoting ‘love jihad’. People are still talking about it in 2020.

Surf excel ad on #Holi last year promoting #LoveJihad from childhood. These people will never say about Bakra Eid or Halala but jumps in every #Hindu festivals#SpareHinduFestivals https://t.co/NXew5uPaA4

— ATUL AGRAWAL (@ATULHALDWANI) March 4, 2020

#BoycottRedlabel
All ads of @HUL_News are portraying Mullahs in Good and Hindus in Bad light
1. Redlabel tea ad of Neighborhood mullah
2. Surf Excel Holi Ad
3. Kumbh mela ad
4. Latest in thr coffin is Ganesha ad
Let’s make sure Unilever is forced to pack thr business

— #VandeMatram (@VandeyMatram_) September 1, 2019

#SpareHinduFestivals
Remember the anti hindu surf excel ad on Holi last year…Tolerate no such nonsense any more.
Raise your voice NOW. Let no one defile our traditions.#SpareHinduFestivals

— Goblin Dracula (@draculaclanka) March 4, 2020

The current call of smearing colour on burqa clad women without their consent is just a regressive fantasy of some who wish to impose their power and supremacy on minorities and women.

The result of such a campaign is that though being visually wrong, it is being spread among people who innocently forward it as a step towards communal harmony, without understanding the actual intention behind it.

This. 

https://twitter.com/iBhupendraHarit/status/1237033115228364802

The disgust cannot be put into words anymore.

Forcibly touching anyone without their consent is criminal. Holi is not an excuse for sexual abuse. The licentious behavior by men is the curse of the society. With this thought turning communal in nature and no one to check its spread, it will result in social destruction that will be beyond control and ruin the psyche of the nation.

Related:

Video asking to harass Muslim women on Holi surfaces on social media

The post How ‘Bura na maano Holi hai’ has undermined the consent of women in India appeared first on SabrangIndia.

“Aaj rang hai, hey Maa rang hai ri
Moray mehboob ke ghar rang hai ri”

(“There’s colour today, O mother, there’s a glow today,
In my beloved’s home there’s new colour today.”)

Amir Khusrau’s qawwali blasts through the speakers downstairs as residents loudly discuss and justify not letting their kids play Holi in the street on March 10, 2020. The children had already bought balloons which they were planning to fill with coloured water for Holi. They have been told very strictly that they will all stay inside their houses to avoid risk. As the adults read Whatsapp messages to each other (some of them factually inaccurate), I ask the kids who they were planning to throw the balloons at. As the music player switches to, “Aaj na chhodenge bas hamjoli, khelenge hum Holi, Chaahe bheege re teri chunariya, chaahe bheege rey choli” (“Today we will not let you go, o playmate, we will play Holi, even if your scarf is drenched, even if your blouse is drenched”), the children giggle and tell me they threw balloons at passersby on the road last year. 

This is nothing new. I have myself been the target of many such balloons over the years. Men and boys would roam the roads on their bikes, shouting profanities and throwing colour and balloons filled with water (and other things) at unsuspecting girls. Holi in Haryana had taught me to never (EVER) step outside on the day, and one day after- because of leftover supplies of colour and leftover effects of liquor. Drinking bhaang (traditionally prepared as a milky concoction with marijuana leaves) and general hooliganism that have come to define the festival for most people, have obscured the beauty and abandon we expect from a festival that is literally the celebration of love, heralding the spring season, and the victory of good over evil.

The festival itself, has been celebrated for centuries, not just by Hindus, but also by Jains and Newar Buddhists of Nepal. Sikhs are also linked to this festival. Guru Gobind Singh Ji – the tenth and last human guru of the Sikhs – modified Holi into a three-day extended festival called Hola Mohalla that celebrates martial arts. The festival was started the day after Holi in Anandpur Sahib, where Sikh soldiers would train in mock battles, compete in horsemanship, athletics, archery and military exercises. People from all corners of Punjab visit Anandpur Sahib in large numbers every year for the festivities.

In Mughal India, Holi was celebrated as Eid-e-Gulabi during the reigns of Emperors Akbar and Shahjahan. The last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar even wrote a song about Holi, albeit referencing an eve-teasing scenario which is also a common template for Bollywood’s Holi themed songs. While there may be subtlety in the lyrics, it is the overall treatment and choreography of such Bollywood songs that sometimes endorses outright harassment of women.

On the other hand, Holi has inspired deeply mystic and spritual poetry as well. Amir Khusrau wrote,

“Kheluungii Holi, Khaaja ghar aaye,
Dhan dhan bhaag hamare sajni,
Khaaja aaye aangan mere”

(I shall play Holi as Khaaja has come home, blessed is my fortune, o friend, as Khaaja has come to my courtyard).

Famous Sufi saint Bulleh Shah illustrated the syncretic nature of the festival beautifully in his poetry,

“Hori Khelungi, Keh Bismillah.
Nam Nabi ki ratn chadi, boond padi Allah Allah.
Rang rangeeli ohi khilave, Jis seekhi ho Fanaa fi Allah.
‘Alastu bi rabbikum’ Pritam bole, Sab sakhiyan ne ghunghat khole.
Qaloo Bala, yun hi kar bole, ‘la ilaha illallah’.”

(I will play Holi beginning in the name of the Lord, saying Bismillah.
Cast like a gem in the name of the Prophet,
Each drop falls with the beat of Allah, Allah,
Only He may play with these colourful dyes,
Who has learnt to lose himself in Allah.
‘Am I not your lord?’ asked the Lover,
And all maidens lifted their veils,
Everyone said, ‘Yes!’ and repeated “There is only one God’)

Even in contemporary times, the syncretism emerges in beautiful pockets around the country. 63-year-old Mohammad Gyassuddin of Varanasi is the fifth generation artisan who crafts the Shahi Pagdi (also known as Akbari Pagdi) for the Baba Bholenath idol in Kashi Vishwanath temple. The Bholenaath (Shiva) idol is worshipped by a huge number of devotees on Holi, and Gyassuddin feels honoured that his family has been entrusted with the job of decorating and crafting the Pagdi (turban) for so many years. He is a firm believer of Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb and says, “कोई भी हिन्दू–मुस्लिम नहीं चाहता है, सब लोग दो वक्त की रोज़ी–रोटी चाहते हैं और कुछ नहीं। कुछ राजनीतिक लोग हैं जो अपनी रोटी सेंकना चाहते हैं, वही लोग लड़ाई लगाते हैं।” (“Nobody wants Hindu-Muslim conflict, we just want two meals a day and a way to earn it, Some political forces have vested interests, so they create conflicts.”)

Delhi is still reeling from the devastation brought by Delhi Pogrom 2020. COVID-19 is leading to cancellations of public events and gatherings, even as the people rendered homeless struggle in relief camps. Here in Mumbai, parents want to cancel Holi celebrations because of the health risk to their children, the same parents who did not bat an eye when their children endangered strangers on the roads by throwing water balloons in previous years. Hordes of men will harrass women and girls in the name of, “Bura na mano, Holi hai” (“Don’t mind, it’s Holi”), this year too, despite COVID-19 scares. Viruses, after all, cannot teach the value of consent. Women like me who have had past experiences of sexual harassment during Holi will be cloistered safely inside a house that was not the target of a Pogrom. Holi is inherently supposed to be messy and chaotic, while inspiring joy and freedom. This year, the mess has another colour- the red of the spilt blood of our citizens. This Holi, let us hold on to it’s inherent beauty, or whatever is left of it, and hope to see the day when we can all celebrate the colours of harmony and mutual respect again.

Related articles:

1. The colourful history of Holi and Islam

2. Is the Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb, so intrinsic to Delhi, being made irrelevant?

3. Video asking to harass Muslim women on Holi surfaces on social media

The post Holi: Poetry, syncretism, and dilemmas appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Holi was celebrated as Id-e-Gulabi during the reign of Mughal emperors like Shahjahan and Akbar. In Mughal India, it was also called “Aab-e-Pashi” (shower of colourful flowers). It is mentioned in Tuzk-e-Jahangiri, the autobiography of Mughal Emperor Nuruddin Muhammad Jahangir, that Jahangir used to hold Mehfil-e-Holi.

Even though literature, art and music around Holi is mainly relegated to the Radha and Krishna lore, Holi and Islam have had a historic relationship in India which set the foundation of the Indian composite culture. Holi has been an integral part of Islam for centuries.

Holi was celebrated as Id-e-Gulabi during the reign of Mughal emperors like Shahjahan and Akbar. In Mughal India, it was also called “Aab-e-Pashi” (shower of colourful flowers). It is mentioned in Tuzk-e-Jahangiri, the autobiography of Mughal Emperor Nuruddin Muhammad Jahangir, that Jahangir used to hold Mehfil-e-Holi.

This syncretic culture in India was actually inspired by the holiest Sufi saint of Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia and his disciple, Amir Khusrow. They revered colours, especially “pink” and “yellow”, as divine expressions in their beautiful Persian and Hindavi poetry. Therefore, Holi and Basant became an integral part of the Dargah celebrations. Hazrat Amir Khusrow wrote beautiful poems on the divine connotations of colours in his Hindavi poetry:

Kheluungii Holi, Khaaja ghar aaye,
Dhan dhan bhaag hamare sajni,
Khaaja aaye aangan mere

(I shall play Holi as Khaaja has come home, blessed is my fortune, o friend, as Khaaja has come to my courtyard).

The famous Punjabi Sufi mystic — Bulleh Shah — rendered beautiful poetic exhortations of divine love and union in the celebration of Holi. His words are more relevant today in the conflict-ridden and communally-vitiated atmosphere:

Hori Khelungi, Keh Bismillah.
Nam Nabi ki ratn chadi, boond padi Allah Allah.
Rang rangeeli ohi khilave, Jis seekhi ho Fanaa fi Allah.
“Alastu bi rabbikum” Pritam bole, Sab sakhiyan ne ghunghat khole.
Qaloo Bala,yun hi kar bole, “la ilaha illallah”

(I will play Holi beginning in the name of the Lord, saying Bismillah.
Cast like a gem in the name of the Prophet,
Each drop falls with the beat of Allah, Allah,
Only He may play with these colourful dyes,
Who has learnt to lose himself in Allah.
“Am I not your lord?” asked the lover,
And all maids lifted their veils,
Everyone said, “Yes!” and repeated)

Jahangir used to hold Mehfil-e-Holi in `Tuzk-e-Jahangiri’.  Many artists, specially Govardhan and Rasik, have shown Jahangir playing Holi with Noorjahan, his wife. Mohammed Shah Rangila would run around the palace, his wife chasing him with a ‘pichkari’.

The last Moghul Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, allowed his Hindu ministers to smear his forehead with gulal on Holi. He believed that his religion would not be affected by this social ritual. “Jam-e-Jahanuma”, an Urdu daily, said in 1844 that during the days of the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, special arrangements were made for Holi festivities.

Here’s what he wrote about the festival:

Kyun mope maari rang ki pichkaari
dekh kunwarji du’ngi gaari

(Why have you drench me with colour?
O Kunwarji I will swear at you)

bhaaj saku’n main kaise moso bhaajo nahin jaat
thaa’ndi ab dekhu’n main baako kaun jo sun mukh aat

(I can’t run, I am unable to run
I am now standing here and want to see who can dare to colour me)

Bahut dinan mein haath lage ho kaise jaane deoon
Aaj mainphagwa ta sau Kanha faita pakad kar leoon.

(After many days have I caught you, how can I let you go
I will catch you by your cummerbund and play Holi with you)

At Dewa Sharif, the Dargah of Haji Waris Ali Shah in Uttar Pradesh, Holi is celebrated with as much enthusiasm as Id. Munshi Zakaullah in his book “Tarikh-e-Hindustani” rightly asked: “Who says Holi is a Hindu festival?”

“Mir Taqi Mir, who was in the court of Nawab Asaf-ud-Daulah wrote in praise of Jashne-e-Holi. Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Awadh, who considered himself to be the embodiment of Krishna, is known to have celebrated the festival with much fervour. One time when Holi and Muharram fell on the same day, he made sure both festivals found attention at different times of the day. While the morning in Lucknow was marked by colours of Holi, the evening was sombre with mourning in place. Shah wrote, More kanha jo aaye palat ke, ab ke hori main khelungi dat ke. This thumri not only found a place in Vrindavan and Varanasi in the centuries that followed but found much resonance after thumri exponent Shobha Gurtu recorded it. Bollywood also immortalised it in Sardari Begum,” The Indian Express reported.

With Mughal art, music and literature celebrating the many colours of Holi, it seems reductive for any religion to stake a claim on any festival of joy. As many artists point out, the colours are smeared to remove any trace of identity and erase all differences, so that all of us can be one.

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