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| Limited restriction on Moharram procession | | Route restriction being imposed on processions of other faiths also | | Early Times Report
Jammu, December 28 :-Are limited restrictions on Moharram processions in fashion only in Srinagar ?Were these restrictions needed to prevent mourners from taking out processions in the civil lines areas ?These questions have assumed significance following bloody clashes between the mourners and the police in several pockets of Srinagar city on Saturday.In the clashes over 50 people,including a dozen policemen were injured.A senior police officer posted in th state's summer capital said that two officers had narrow escape when some mourners,carrying swords,attacked them.One constable lost his ear which was sliced by the sword.SHO Kothi Bagh suffered a broken nose and the other official had a couple of fractures.Even on Sunday stray incidents of pelting were registered in various parts of Srinagar.
In fact the mourners were worked up when they were not allowed to take out processions in civil lines areas.However,the police said that some routes had been identified for taking out Moharram processions and this was done for security reasons. "we had reports that some mischief mongers and the vested interests had plans of attacking a Moharram procession which could result in sectarian clashes,"a senior police officer said.He said imposing limited restrictions on Moharram processions was not something new as it has been there during the last over 20 years.He said on a couple of occasions total ban had been imposed when the security scenario in Kashmir was quite critical because of the activities of militants.Since the security scenario had improved restrictions were imposed for Moharram processions in specific areas only.
He said the community leaders had been informed in advance about the routes on which they could take out the processions and routes that were to be kept out of bounds for the processionists.The police officer blamed a senior separatist leader,Molvi Abbas Ansari for having incited mourners to clash with the police.He said it was for the first time that his women followers had come on the streets with naked swords in their hands.The officer appreciated the role of the police in observing maximum restraint despite serious provocation from the mourners.
Informed sources said that limited restrictions on Moharram processions are being imposed in Pakistan and other Islamic countries too.According to these sources,the Government identifies routes for Moharram processions even in Shia dominated Iran.In certain countries,including Iraq,people have to observe certain rules during offering prayers in mosques. The authorities in Iran and Iraq earmark mosques where people could offer prayers on special religious occasions and festivals.
Ever since the rise of terrorism in Pakistan there have been series of sectarian clashes with gunmen,belonging to Sunni sect,attacking Shias in mosques and during Moharram processions.During the last four days Army had been kept on standby to prevent vested interests from triggering sectarian clashes.Despite this terrorists exploded a bombs in Karachi and elsewhere in which 10 people were killed about 40 people were injured during the Moharram procession.The police said that whether in Srinagar or in Jammu limited rstrictions are imposed during Janam Ashtami processions or during Shoba yatra since the rise of militancy.All this was being done for security reasons.Routes for processions during Gurupurab are fixed and the processionists are not allowed to violate the route regulation.
Government sources claimed that the amount of religious freedom people of different faiths enjoy in Jammu and Kashmir is unheard of in the rest of the world.They expected people of different faiths to cooperate with the Government in the interest of peace and communal amity.
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