Amid ban on main procession, Ashura observed across Valley
After 1988, authorities have never allowed Srinagar Zuljanah rally
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
______
SRINAGAR, Oct 24: Ashura, the martyrdom anniversary of Prophet Mohammad’s grandson Hazrat Imam Hussain and his companions in the battlefield of Karbala in Iraq, was observed across the State of Jammu and Kashmir with traditional practice of mourning by Shia Muslims on Saturday. Even as the authorities, like every year since 1988, did not allow the main Zuljanah procession on its traditional route of Abiguzar Lalchowk-Zadibal in the capital city, quoting security reasons, thousands of devotees participated in scores of the mourning processions in Shia population areas throughout Kashmir valley.
On the pattern of a post-1988 tradition, mourners brought out the Valley’s largest attended Zuljanah procession from Botakadal Lalbazar in the forenoon braving inclement weather. It marched through different Shia-dominated neighbourhoods and culminated late in the night in the traditional Majlis-e-Shaam-e-Gareebaan at the historic Imambara of Zadibal.
Organisers as well as authorities said that over 50,000 mourners participated in the Zuljanah procession while reciting Nowha and Marthiya and paying tributes to the 72 martyrs of Karbala and Imam Hussain’s companions who survived the bloodshed.
Unlike in the last several years when intermittent clashes occurred at some places en route to Zadibal, authorities had made best security arrangements and other logistics for smooth proceedings of the procession. Restrictions were strictly imposed in vast area of downtown Srinagar. Like in the last two days, there was curfew-like situation in entire downtown, with the exception of Lalbazar-Zadibal belt, even Lalchowk area of uptown where Police had placed barriers of Concertina wire at several places to prevent human movement and traffic.
A number of the religious and political outfits had condemned the restrictions and the government’s refusal to permit the main Zuljanah procession as “interference with religion” and threatened to violate the ban.
With the restrictions strictly in place, no attempts were made to take out a procession from Abiguzar in the Civil Lines. On Thursday, scores of mourners had been thrashed and detained for violating the restrictions on occasion of 8th of Muharram and attempting to take out a procession.
In the countryside, the largest Zujanah and Alam procession came out from Imambara Mirgund and in the forenoon and concluded with Majlis-e-Shaam-e-Gareebaan at Budgam. Thousands of Shia Muslim mourners, including a large number of women, participated in the procession.
Smaller Zuljanah, Alam and Tazia processions were taken out in around 50 Shia-dominated towns from Chhatergul in South Kashmir to Kamalkote Uri in North Kashmir.
No untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the Valley.
Reports of large Ashura processions poured in also from Kargil and Leh. Ladakhi Shia Muslims thronged Imambargahs and participated in the processions while reciting Nowha in Urdu and Ladakhi languages and dialects.
In their separately issued statements, different opposition leaders including Hurriyat Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani lashed out on the Mufti Sayeed government for disallowing the Muharram procession from Lalchowk to Zadibal. Some of them even referred to the RSS procession in Jammu which was permitted by the authorities despite the fact that nobody had sought any permission and the chalaks were allowed to march with swords and guns throughout the old city of Jammu.
The centuries old Ashura procession had been for the first time banned by the authorities after tension built up in Srinagar with the Pakistani military ruler Gen Ziaul Haq’s death in a plane crash in 1989. In the following 25 years, the main Ashura procession was disallowed as the authorities claimed that militants could attack or cause a blast and hold the Government responsible for it. However, the political parties, including National Conference and PDP, have refused to be the takers of this theory though neither of them allowed it when they were the ruling parties.
END
After 1988, authorities have never allowed Srinagar Zuljanah rally
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
______
SRINAGAR, Oct 24: Ashura, the martyrdom anniversary of Prophet Mohammad’s grandson Hazrat Imam Hussain and his companions in the battlefield of Karbala in Iraq, was observed across the State of Jammu and Kashmir with traditional practice of mourning by Shia Muslims on Saturday. Even as the authorities, like every year since 1988, did not allow the main Zuljanah procession on its traditional route of Abiguzar Lalchowk-Zadibal in the capital city, quoting security reasons, thousands of devotees participated in scores of the mourning processions in Shia population areas throughout Kashmir valley.
On the pattern of a post-1988 tradition, mourners brought out the Valley’s largest attended Zuljanah procession from Botakadal Lalbazar in the forenoon braving inclement weather. It marched through different Shia-dominated neighbourhoods and culminated late in the night in the traditional Majlis-e-Shaam-e-Gareebaan at the historic Imambara of Zadibal.
Organisers as well as authorities said that over 50,000 mourners participated in the Zuljanah procession while reciting Nowha and Marthiya and paying tributes to the 72 martyrs of Karbala and Imam Hussain’s companions who survived the bloodshed.
Unlike in the last several years when intermittent clashes occurred at some places en route to Zadibal, authorities had made best security arrangements and other logistics for smooth proceedings of the procession. Restrictions were strictly imposed in vast area of downtown Srinagar. Like in the last two days, there was curfew-like situation in entire downtown, with the exception of Lalbazar-Zadibal belt, even Lalchowk area of uptown where Police had placed barriers of Concertina wire at several places to prevent human movement and traffic.
A number of the religious and political outfits had condemned the restrictions and the government’s refusal to permit the main Zuljanah procession as “interference with religion” and threatened to violate the ban.
With the restrictions strictly in place, no attempts were made to take out a procession from Abiguzar in the Civil Lines. On Thursday, scores of mourners had been thrashed and detained for violating the restrictions on occasion of 8th of Muharram and attempting to take out a procession.
In the countryside, the largest Zujanah and Alam procession came out from Imambara Mirgund and in the forenoon and concluded with Majlis-e-Shaam-e-Gareebaan at Budgam. Thousands of Shia Muslim mourners, including a large number of women, participated in the procession.
Smaller Zuljanah, Alam and Tazia processions were taken out in around 50 Shia-dominated towns from Chhatergul in South Kashmir to Kamalkote Uri in North Kashmir.
No untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the Valley.
Reports of large Ashura processions poured in also from Kargil and Leh. Ladakhi Shia Muslims thronged Imambargahs and participated in the processions while reciting Nowha in Urdu and Ladakhi languages and dialects.
In their separately issued statements, different opposition leaders including Hurriyat Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani lashed out on the Mufti Sayeed government for disallowing the Muharram procession from Lalchowk to Zadibal. Some of them even referred to the RSS procession in Jammu which was permitted by the authorities despite the fact that nobody had sought any permission and the chalaks were allowed to march with swords and guns throughout the old city of Jammu.
The centuries old Ashura procession had been for the first time banned by the authorities after tension built up in Srinagar with the Pakistani military ruler Gen Ziaul Haq’s death in a plane crash in 1989. In the following 25 years, the main Ashura procession was disallowed as the authorities claimed that militants could attack or cause a blast and hold the Government responsible for it. However, the political parties, including National Conference and PDP, have refused to be the takers of this theory though neither of them allowed it when they were the ruling parties.
END
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