Ahmedabad News: To preserve intercommunal harmony, authorities will coordinate the Ganesh Visarjan and Eid-e-Milad processions
The authorities in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, have decided to synchronize the Ganesh Visarjan and Eid-e-Milad for September 28 in order to preserve the communal tranquility.
In order to get permission for an Eid parade on the evening of September 28, four prominent representatives of the Muslim community met with the local police commissioner. However, the Police Commissioner announced a different strategy after realizing the potential of conflict and altercations.
The decision was made after discussions with members including Tasneem Alam Tirmizi, chairman of the Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi central committee trust, Imran Khedawala, a Congress MLA from Jamalpur-Khadia, and Gyasuddin Shaikh, a former MLA of Dariapur, among others, according to a statement from the office of police commissioner G S Malik.
Given that the Ganesh Visarjan procession also draws substantial audiences and that the Eid march often attracts crowds of 15,000–20,000 people, there were concerns that antisocial individuals may stoke religious tensions, igniting communal issues.
To prevent any unpleasant incidents and promote intercommunal unity, the Police Commissioner suggested relocating Ahmedabad’s Eid processions to September 29, the day after Ganesh Visarjan.
The procession will start at 3 PM on September 29 and the Muslim holiday will be held on September 28. This suggestion was approved by the delegation of Muslim community members.
By making this adjustment, the possibility of any racial clashes would be diminished and the September 28 Ganesh Visarjan processions could go without disruption.
