Paromita Das
New Delhi: Festivals are an expression of faith, culture, and community. They bring people together, fostering joy and unity. In a country like Bharat, where Hinduism is the majority faith, one would expect Hindu festivals to be celebrated without hesitation or restrictions. Yet, time and again, the reality tells a different story. While secularism is supposed to mean equal treatment of all religions, Hindus often find themselves navigating restrictions, heightened security measures, and even controversy while observing their traditions. The recent events surrounding Holi 2024 in Uttar Pradesh are a glaring example of this paradox, raising serious questions about why Hindus cannot celebrate their own festivals freely in their own country.
As Holi approached this year, authorities in several districts of Uttar Pradesh, including Aligarh and Bareilly, implemented preventive security measures. Mosques were covered with tarpaulin sheets, and police forces conducted flag marches to ensure communal harmony. Officials insisted that these were “routine” precautions, measures that had been taken for years. However, the very fact that such precautions were deemed necessary highlights an uncomfortable reality: the fear of communal violence looms large whenever a Hindu festival coincides with a Friday prayer or a religious practice of another community. The need for heightened law enforcement, rather than an atmosphere of joyous celebration, tells a story of double standards in secularism.
In Sambhal, a district known for its communal sensitivities, police forces were put on high alert to monitor Holi celebrations. While authorities assured that the festival was proceeding peacefully, the fact that state surveillance was needed to allow Hindus to celebrate their own festival raises serious concerns. The tension surrounding religious events in Bharat is not new, but the burden of caution and restraint seems to fall disproportionately on Hindu festivals, rather than being evenly distributed across religious communities.
A particularly controversial moment unfolded when Sambhal Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Anuj Kumar Chaudhary remarked that Holi should be prioritized because it comes once a year, while Jumma (Friday prayers) happen 52 times a year. This statement, seemingly common sense, was met with outrage from political figures. Samajwadi Party MLA Iqbal Mehmood responded sharply, suggesting that when his party comes to power, they would respond accordingly. His remarks hinted at a deeper political divide—one where defending Hindu festivals is seen as a political act rather than a simple assertion of equal rights. Why should Holi, a festival deeply ingrained in Bharat’s cultural fabric, need to be defended in the first place? The very need for such justifications reflects a growing imbalance in the treatment of different religious communities under Bharat’s so-called secular framework.
The issue did not end there. Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) became the center of another controversy when Hindu students alleged that they were denied permission to celebrate Holi on campus. The university administration, through its Proctor Prof. Mohd Wasim Ali, denied the allegations, stating that AMU had never restricted festival celebrations. Yet, Aligarh MP Satish Gautam countered this claim, recalling incidents from previous years where Hindu students had been beaten for celebrating Holi. He accused the AMU authorities of following a divisive ideology, arguing that Hindus should not have to seek permission to celebrate their festivals in Bharat.
This episode at AMU reflects a much larger issue that extends beyond any single institution or festival. Why do Hindus find themselves having to seek approval to celebrate their faith, while other religious communities do not face the same scrutiny? Across Bharat, similar patterns emerge. Hindu religious processions frequently face restrictions on routes, citing “law and order concerns,” while processions for other religions are rarely curtailed. Loudspeakers from Hindu temples during Aarti are often regulated under noise pollution laws, yet the same rules are rarely applied to Azaan from mosques. Even more concerning, Hindu temple finances are controlled by the government, while mosques and churches enjoy autonomy over their funds. These inconsistencies challenge the very foundation of secularism, which was meant to ensure equal treatment for all faiths, not selective appeasement.
The reaction to Hindu festivals also highlights how public discourse is shaped differently for different communities. When restrictions or security measures are placed around Hindu festivals, they are framed as necessary precautions. However, if a non-Hindu festival faced similar state intervention, it would be labeled as religious oppression. The very concept of secularism has been weaponized, not to create equality, but to control and dilute Hindu traditions under the guise of maintaining communal harmony.
The post Mosques Covered for Holi: Why Hindu Festivals Face Restrictions in a Secular Bharat appeared first on Global Governance News- Asia's First Bilingual News portal for Global News and Updates.
