Sambhal: Holi celebrations in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh unfolded against a backdrop of underlying tension as shops, restaurants and hotels remained closed given that the Friday prayers and a procession fell on the same day.
Police personnel lined the streets, manning barricades and checkpoints at Sambhal where at least 10 mosques were covered by large tarpaulin sheets, to protect the walls from being stained with colour. The largest mosque, Shahi Jama Masjid, was at the center of attention.
In November last year, communal clashes broke out after a survey of the Jama Masjid was conducted by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The court-ordered survey was made on the back of claims that the mosque was allegedly built on the ruins of a Hindu temple.
Today, a half-completed police outpost sits right outside the mosque, part of an effort to bolster security in the area. National and regional media channels flocked upon Sambhal to cover the celebrations, assigning their news anchors right outside the main mosque.
The Holi procession was to pass by several mosques, including Shahi Jama Masjid.
To avoid conflict, Friday prayers across mosques in Sambhal were pushed back to 2-2:30 pm, so that residents could offer Namaz only after the Holi processions had passed by.
The Uttar Pradesh police had spent weeks preparing for this day, even bringing in specialized personnel and drones to manage the celebrations.
“We have seven companies and two platoons of PAC (Provincial Armed Constabulary) and RRF (Rapid Response Force),” said Krishan Bishnoi, Superintendent of Police (SP), Sambhal, adding that they also had one company of Rapid Action Force personnel.
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The Holi celebration in Sambhal was a highly controlled affair. Police barricades and checkpoints segregated specific areas where Hindus celebrated the festival with aplomb, blasting music and throwing colours and water at each other.
These designated areas were mainly near Hindu-dominated neighbourhoods, some only a few metres away from a mosque.
But just across these checkpoints, streets were often silent, with few Muslims sitting on stoops watching the celebrations from afar.
“We go to each other’s weddings,” said Akram, a resident of Sambhal who lives near one of the covered mosques. “I have been living here all my life. Because of a few bad elements, the entire community’s name gets spoiled.”
Wasim, 25, who buys old washing machines from Delhi before repairing and selling them in Sambhal, remembered an incident from 2022 which precipitated the strategy of covering the mosques with tarpaulin.
“I remember when colour was thrown on the mosque in Khaggu Sarai (area in Sambhal),” Wasim told ThePrint, adding that at the time he only wanted peace and didn’t want to fight.
In March 2022, the incident in Khaggu Sarai sparked protests and stone-pelting.
Feelings of brotherhood between the Hindus and the Muslims were echoed by several Muslim residents in Khaggu Sarai. Many blamed the media for fanning tensions in a town where the two religions have co-existed peacefully for decades.
According to SP Bishnoi, this year, the police established a control room that monitored CCTV cameras across Sambhal. Additionally, three long endurance drones from Lucknow were deployed for regular flights above key areas in the town.
As the Holi procession passed through the streets, the police employed a box formation, stationing officers on all four sides to minimize any potential conflict.
“This year, both communities–Hindus and Muslims–are happy with the celebrations,” said Bishnoi. “It has gone according to plan.”
While the box formation managed to prevent any direct clashes between the two communities, it didn’t stop people from ramping up their celebrations outside Jama Masjid.
The Holi procession, mostly men covered head to toe in bright reds, greens and yellows, stopped outside the mosque despite police efforts to nudge them forward.
Some gave quick bytes to media channels, others chanted religious slogans while staring at the mosque. The Muslims who had arrived at Jama Masjid to offer Namaz, stood on the other side of the barricade, watching the celebrations unfold in front of them.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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