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Journalism of Courage
In a move aimed at ensuring communal harmony and smooth management of festivities, the Muslim community in Pune has decided to postpone the annual Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi procession from September 5 to 8.
This year, September 5 coincides with Ganesh Visarjan, which attracts lakhs of devotees across the city. The overlapping of processions on the same routes raised concerns of heavy congestion, traffic disruptions, and security challenges.
“The Eid procession traditionally starts from Nanapeth and passes through Camp before ending near Ganesh Peth, which is also a key route for the Ganesh immersions. To avoid crowding and traffic chaos, we have voluntarily chosen to shift our procession to September 8,” said Anwar Hussain Shaikh, a social activist and president of Miss Farha Charitable Foundation.
Shaikh added that the decision was taken collectively during a coordination meeting last week between Muslim community representatives and senior police officials, including Joint Commissioner of Police, Pune, Ranjan Kumar Sharma. “All organisations agreed that postponement was in the best interest of the city. Even last year, a similar adjustment was made when the two festivals coincided,” he said.
Daily commuters too welcomed the move. “Festival days are always hectic, but when two major processions happen together it becomes almost impossible to move around the city. This change will definitely ease travel and reduce stress for office-goers like us,” said Anand Deshmukh, a regular commuter from Swargate to Kalyani Nagar.
Ravi Jadhav, an autorickshaw driver from Shivajinagar, echoed the sentiment. “On such days we often get stuck for hours in traffic and one-way roads on the occasion of the festivals and passengers also suffer. Postponing the procession shows consideration for everyone in the city.”
Community leaders stressed that the procession is a purely religious and spiritual event, involving Quran recitation, and expressed their opposition to the use of DJs or high-volume sound systems. “We will strictly abide by the Supreme Court’s orders on sound restrictions. Our procession will remain peaceful and devotional,” Shaikh stated.
With both festivals celebrated peacefully, leaders believe this will strengthen the city’s long-standing culture of co-existence. “Ganeshotsav is celebrated with great enthusiasm across Maharashtra. If our small step ensures balance and peace, that itself is a reform worth embracing,” Shaikh told The Indian Express.
(Aryesh Chakraborty is an intern with The Indian Express)
