Eid Milad-un-Nabi: J-K Grand Mufti call ignored; PDP, Mirwaiz flay govt

Sinha as well as senior civil and police officers shared their Eid greetings with the people of the Valley on Monday.

Criticising the government move, the Valley’s top religious cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said: “This action shows the callous attitude of the authorities towards the Muslim community. It has caused hurt to the religious sentiments of Muslims in Kashmir. As Milad is on Tuesday the 17th, State holiday should have been given on that day.”

Mirwaiz added: “It is most unfortunate that those governing us today are ignorant about our religious and cultural traditions and have little interest in understanding them, or showing respect to them.”

The Valley’s Grand Mufti, Nasir ul Islam, had announced 10 days ago that Eid Milad-un-Nabi would be observed in Kashmir on September 17.

BJP media in-charge, Kashmir, Sajid Yousuf said he couldn’t comment on the issue. “I am busy with campaigning and I don’t have any idea about this.”

Earlier, in April this year, the administration had not announced Eid-ul-Fitr on April 10, as per the local Muslim calendar. Instead, a holiday was announced on April 11, coinciding with the rest of the country. Those who didn’t attend office on April 10 were marked “absent”.

Muslim holidays are subject to the appearance of the new moon, with the government accordingly issuing a notification. For decades, the house of the Grand Mufti in Kashmir followed the announcements of the Pakistan Ruet-e-Hilal or moon sighting committee to announce their decision on Eid celebrations. Kashmir’s geographical proximity to Pakistan, the absence of an independent and technologically equipped moon-sighting committee in J&K as well as the rough weather conditions in Kashmir meant moon-sighting was left to the Pakistan body.

Last year, a committee was formed by the Mufti Nasir to determine these dates for Jammu and Kashmir, as well as Ladakh. However, his announcement regarding Eid falling on September 17 was ignored.

Pakistan incidentally will be observing Eid Milad-un-Nabi on Tuesday.