Holi: Ugly display of triumphalism against Muslims

Holi, once celebrated by even Muslim rulers, including the much-reviled Mughals, and extolled by Muslim poets in verses still sung by our classical greats, has become a flashpoint of communal riots.

In India’s two main metros, women generally prefer not to step out on Holi, unless they have to. In the national capital, molestation by Holi revellers has been an unfortunate part of the festival for a long time now. In the financial capital, women have been targeted, with some commuters in local trains having had their vision damaged after being hit in the eyes by balloons filled with gravel. Earlier, women were the only targets, but of late, men have also been subject to this. Indeed, one man lost his life after a balloon hit him.

Yet, never has any police officer dared to tell women: ‘You better stay home if you can’t handle Holi revelry; if you do move out, have a large heart, for ‘Bura na mano, holi hai.’’ Indeed, in 2018, the Delhi women’s collective Pinjratod demonstrated with posters saying ‘Bura kyun na manoon?’ on Holi.

But a police officer in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, has dared to do just that.

Sambhal saw five Muslims dead in police firing barely four months back, in response to stone throwing sparked off by rumours that the town’s oldest mosque was being dug up to check if it was built on an existing temple. Arrests for this incident were taking place till a month ago. Since then, the government has been trying its best to besiege Sambhal’s Jama Masjid, to the extent that even for its annual Ramzan whitewash, the mosque trustees have had to seek the court’s permission, which has still not been given.

This is the backdrop in which Circle Officer Anuj Chaudhary warned Sambhal’s Muslims against stepping out for Friday prayers on March 14 if they believed being smeared by colour violated their faith.

What was shocking wasn’t just the insensitivity of this warning to a community coping with the sudden deaths and arrests of its young men. What compounded it was that the officer was abdicating his responsibility to protect every citizen; in this case Muslims praying during Ramzan, a month in which Friday prayers have a special significance.

Chaudhary’s words also displayed a callous indifference to what Holi has come to stand for in North India. The festival, once celebrated by even Muslim rulers, including the much-reviled Mughals, and extolled by Muslim poets in verses still sung by our classical greats, has for long been a flashpoint for communal riots. The first recorded communal riot in India occurred on Holi in Ahmedabad in 1713-1714, according to historian Harbans Mukhia. Like the rest of us, Chaudhary wouldn’t have known this, but he surely knew that Sambhal itself saw a Holi clash in 2022 when colour was thrown on a mosque.

His words also showed an arrogance that comes not just with a police uniform, or with being part of the majority faith, but also of belonging to a dominant caste. Incidents of Dalits being forcibly smeared with colour are rife in North India; in one case, a girl was raped for resisting this. Ironically, Dalits have been killed for smearing colour on those from so-called upper castes. It appears that the flawed justification of ‘Bura na mano, holi hai’ is not for them!

In the North, Muslims have traditionally been part of Holi festivities. But since 2017, when Yogi Adityanath took over as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Hindu festivals here have become ugly displays of triumphalism against Muslims. Under Adityanath’s rule, we have been subject to the shameful sight of mosques being covered with tarpaulin on Holi so that Hindu revellers can throw colour on them to their heart’s content.

In a speech made in 2018, just before his first Holi as chief minister, which also fell on a Friday, Adityanath made it clear that he would not let anything dilute the celebration. The administration, used to a more inclusive Samajwadi Party government till then, had proposed curtailing the hours in which Holi could be played, to avoid a clash with Friday prayers. The saffron-clad chief minister would have none of it. The namaz could be postponed till after the Holi festivities were over, he said.

Not surprisingly, Adityanath has come out in support of Chaudhury, setting to naught the complaints filed against the officer for having violated the UP Police Service Rules that mandates the police to treat all faiths equally.

While doing so, Adityanath even declared that going to the mosque to pray was not necessary. Going further, he justified Chaudhary's rough tone, saying, “After all, he’s a wrestler, he’s been an Arjuna awardee, an Olympian.” The elite audience at the India Today conclave clapped when Adityanath said this.

No wonder, Chaudhary’s warning has been met with swift compliance by ulema in Uttar Pradesh who’ve postponed prayer timings on March 14 till after Holi celebrations are over. Will that be enough to satisfy the appetite for Muslim-baiting seen across North India during Hindu festivals?

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.

(Jyoti Punwani is a senior journalist.)