Will the atmosphere remain peaceful if mosques are covered with tarpaulin in UP?
#News Bureau March 13,2025
Mosques have been covered with tarpaulin in many cities of UP. The time of Friday prayers has also been changed in some cities. Usually Holi ends by 1 pm but there is a fear that this time the colours of Holi are going to last longer, because many organizations have issued provocative statements in this regard. Some have even advised men to wear tarpaulin hijab. UP CM Yogi Adityanath has already supported the statement of Sambhal DSP Anuj Chaudhary that people should offer prayers at home, what is the need for them to come to the mosque. And if they go out, then be ready to be colored. One meaning of Holi is to celebrate the festival together. To establish harmony. The situation has become such that there is a fear that Holi, which is considered a festival of communal harmony, may spoil the colours.
“The biggest question is whether the elements who spoil the atmosphere on these occasions will agree after taking all the precautions. This question is on the lips of common people in UP.
A similar decision was taken in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh. Actually, this time Holi is on March 14. Ramzan’s Friday prayers are also on that day. The administration has taken a decision to prevent any kind of unpleasant incident between the two religions. According to this decision, 10 historical mosques of the area are being covered with plastic sheets and tarpaulin. These include the famous Shahi Jama Masjid of Sambhal. The administration says that this step is being taken so that these religious places do not get colored even by mistake during the celebration of Holi.
Many questions are being raised on this decision. It is being told that the reason behind this is the Chaupai procession taken out on Holi. A procession called ‘Chaupai’ is taken out during Holi in Sambhal and surrounding areas. In this tradition, devotees roam around the city singing devotional songs and celebrate with colors. Traditionally, there are mosques on the routes through which this procession passes.
The administration feared tension due to Holi and Friday prayers falling on the same day. Keeping this in mind, the administration took this step. Additional Superintendent of Police Shrish Chandra said that “It was necessary to cover the mosques to maintain communal harmony.”
The administration believes that this step has been taken not to target any particular community but to give freedom to the followers of both religions to follow their traditions. “Our priority is that both communities can follow their religious beliefs and there is no conflict of any kind,” a senior officer said.
Apart from this, it was also decided that the timing of Jumme ki Namaaz and Chaupai procession will be changed so that there is no conflict between the two events. Security forces have been put on high alert so that no untoward incident takes place.
It is challenging for the Sambhal administration to conduct both the events peacefully. However, the administration is saying that preparations are complete. According to Sambhal’s sub-divisional magistrate Vandana Mishra, “UP police has detained around 1,015 people to prevent any possible disturbance.”
Some people believe that this step is the result of the administration’s prudence, while some consider it to be another step towards religious polarization. All kinds of things are being said about this on social media. Some people say that mosques are being covered in other districts as well. At the same time, some people are saying that it seems like this is not a festival but a war arrangement.
In this case, a strange statement has come from Uttar Pradesh Minister of State Raghuraj Singh. He has advised Muslim women and men to wear hijab to avoid colors on Holi. He says that “Just like mosques are covered with tarpaulin, Muslim women should wear tarpaulin hijab and men should wear tarpaulin hijab with white cap to avoid colors on Holi.”
With such random statements and covering of religious places, the question arises whether covering is the solution, or do we need to bring more maturity in our society? We need to be more strict so that any festival or religious ritual can be performed without any fear and hindrance!
