Ahead of Eid al-Adha, a controversy erupted in Mira Road, Maharashtra when some members of the Bajrang Dal created a ruckus and attacked Muslim families who brought lambs for sacrifice.
The incident occurred outside the JP North Celeste Society on Saturday, June 15.
In a viral video that surfaced on the internet, some Bajrang Dal, radical Hindutva outfit members are seen objecting to Muslim families bringing lambs in the neighbourhood.
The altercation escalated when Bajrang Dal members allegedly attacked a Muslim man family.
Pertinently, Eid Al-Adha or Bakrid is a holy occasion, also called the ‘festival of sacrifice’, and is celebrated on the 10th day of Dhul al-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic or lunar calendar. It marks the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
In India and other parts of the world, Muslims celebrate the festival with great enthusiasm and devotion. They offer prayers and sacrifice animals.
Recent attacks
In recent days which highlights growing Islamophobia and prejudice against the Muslim community living in India, a series of attacks and disruptions have been reported across various regions ahead of the Eid al-Adha celebrations.
In Telangana’s Medak district, several people were injured in an attack by a Hindutva mob on a madrasa.
According to reports, the management of Minhaj ul Uloom Madarsa had purchased cattle for sacrifice for Bakrid. Local members of right-wing organizations created a ruckus near the madrasa after the sacrificial animals were brought in. Soon, police reached the spot and dispersed the crowd.
In another incident, a scuffle broke out at Ramdas Chowrasta in the Medak when the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) leaders stopped the transportation of the cows, and instead of giving a complaint, they staged a protest.
A few people have already been taken into custody and an investigation is ongoing as cases are being registered against both parties and the situation is under control for now, a senior police officer said.
“Meanwhile, the police imposed Section 144 in the area and the situation is under control now,” Medak Superintendent of Police Office B Bala Swamy said.
This was not a one-off incident. Bajrang Dal members, fueled by their extremist ideology, have been involved in several instances of religious vigilantism and hate crimes across India. In recent years, the group has been accused of stopping inter-faith marriages, harassing couples celebrating Valentine’s Day, and even attacking Muslim meat sellers and cattle traders.
Eid Al Adha guidelines issued by ICI
Prominent Muslim organisation Islamic Centre of India (ICI) has issued an advisory for those who perform animal sacrifices during the upcoming Eid Al Adha festival that will be celebrated on June 17.
The ICI has advised them not to click photographs or record videos of the ‘Qurbani’ on the occasion.
The guideline is part of a 13-point advisory issued on Thursday.
An appeal was issued to sacrifice, in a clean, open space, only those animals which are not restricted by state. Also, blood should be buried so that it could serve as compost to make the soil fertile.
It was also advised that sacrifice should not be performed on streets, or in public areas and all scrap of the animal should be disposed of only in dustbins provided by the municipal corporations.
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