MP cleric asks Muslims to keep off garba ‘keeping in mind the situation’

A Muslim cleric in Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam city has urged members of his community to avoid participating in Garba, a traditional Hindu folk dance, during the ongoing Navratri festival. The cleric, Syed Ahmed Ali, known locally as the ‘Shahar Qazi,’ said that attending such events goes against Islamic teachings. People wearing traditional attire perform Garba, a traditional dance of Gujarat state, on the second night of Navratri, or nine night festival, in Ahmedabad, India, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP) “I request Muslim young people, mothers, sers, and daughters not to visit fairs or watch Garba events. Instead, I call upon you to stay at home, keeping in mind the situation,” Ali said in a written message addressed to the Muslim community. The cleric, speaking to PTI on Sunday, said his appeal was made “keeping in mind the current situation,” but did not elaborate further. Garba has recently seen restrictions placed on the entry of non-Hindus in certain parts of Madhya Pradesh. In Ratlam, organisers of several Garba events have explicitly banned the participation of non-Hindus, with banners at entry points conveying this message. Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar said police patrols, including teams of women officers on scooters, have been monitoring Garba venues from 7 pm to 1 am to ensure incident-free celebrations. Meanwhile, a controversy erupted in Indore following a call a local BJP leader, who suggested that Garba participants should be required to sip cow urine before entering the event. BJP drict president Chintu Verma argued that a true Hindu would not refuse this ritual, sparking criticism from the opposition Congress party, which accused the BJP of promoting divisive tactics. “Aadhaar card can be edited. However, if a person is a Hindu, he will enter the Garba pandal only after aachaman of cow urine and there is no question of refusing it,” he said. According to Hindu customs, aachaman means taking a sip of water while reciting mantras for purification before starting religious rituals. Verma later dubbed them a personal view, saying he never meant to stop anybody from visiting garba pandals through any pre-condition. “I had expressed my personal views with great sanctity, but many people and Congress turned them into a controversy, which shouldn’t have happened,” Verma told reporters. With PTI inputs