Gujarat | VHP, Bajrang Dal add communal tinge to garba events during Navratri celebrations

Chaos prevailed during the Garba Mahotsav at Garden City, one of the biggest residential societies in Ankleshwar, Bharuch, after VHP activists staged a protest demanding that non-Hindu artistes should not be invited to perform at the event.

Around 40 men barged into the Navratri event on October 9 while raising slogans of Jai Shri Ram even as the security guards attempted to stop them. The VHP members demanded that the residential society management should neither appoint security guards belonging to other religions nor invite Muslim singers for the event.

The situation came under control only after the residential society’s management agreed to cancel the programme of Mir Rahim, an artiste from the troupe of popular garba singer Osman Mir.

‘Want peaceful event’

“Some people objected to the performance of garba singer Mir Rahim at our society. The artiste was slated to perform on October 10. We decided to cancel his booking as we want a peaceful Navratri celebration at our society. We don’t want any ruckus here,” a resident and member of Garden City society management told The Federal, pleading anonymity.

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Later, two more performances by the singer slated for October 11 and 12, 2024 were cancelled at the last moment by two of the private garba events in Ahmedabad. The organisers of these events refused to comment on the matter.

Notably, Osman Mir and his troupe has been synonymous to Navaratri celebrations in Gujarat for years. Mir is one of the most popular and oldest artistes who has been singing traditional garba songs that are dedicated to Goddess Amba for over 25 years.

Not an isolated bid

“This is very unfortunate. We grew up dancing to garba songs of Osman Mir like Ambe Maa.., Thara bina Shyam… etc. Garba celebrations in Gujarat are never complete without its Muslim artistes. Osman Mir is a big name. NRIs book him for garba shows abroad and his events are being cancelled in his own state. This is sad,” shared Mittal Patel, an Ahmedabad-based human rights activist.

Significantly, this isn’t an isolated attempt to add communal colour in Navratri festivities in the state.

In another incident on October 3, Bajrang Dal activists barged into a high-profile garba event at Sargasan in Gandhinagar, the state’s capital. A scuffle broke out between participants, security guards and the Bajrang Dal workers as the right-wing vigilantes began to sprinkle gau mutra (cow urine) and apply tilak (red vermillion) on foreheads of all those present there. Later, local police had to intervene and resort to cane charge to bring the situation under control.

Let off in few hours

“The youths claimed that they wanted to identify non-Hindu garba players at the venue by applying vermilion on the foreheads of the participants. But the management refused to let them do so and they were stopped by the security guards engaged for the event. The scuffle broke out when some of them jumped the fence and forced their entry into the premises,” said Gandhinagar DSP Divya Prakash Gohil.

The Bajrang Dal members were detained from the scene but were released a few hours later. “The organisers were asked to file a formal complaint but they decided against it, so we let them off after a few hours of detention,” added Gohil.

VHP warns ‘love jihadis’

Earlier, the VHP’s Gujarat unit had last week urged the state government to ensure that ‘love jihadis’ and ‘Garba jihadis’ do not enter garba venues during the 9-day Navratri festival. They also stated in a press release that VHP activists would be standing at the entrance of the events across the state checking Aadhar cards to ensure no Muslim participates in these events.

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“Despite being warned four youths from another religion were spotted at a venue in Gandhinagar. Our volunteers grabbed them to prevent love jihad,” said Hitendra Rajput, the spokesperson of Gujarat wing of the VHP as he talked about the incident at Sargasan garba event at Gandhinagar.

Not the first time

Similar incidents were reported last year too when a Muslim participant was thrashed by VHP activists at Sindhu Bhawan garba venue in Ahmedabad before being forced to leave.

Later, a police complaint was filed by the victim and five people were arrested. However, all five were released on bail the next day.

The same year, a Muslim bouncer employed by a garba event management at Surat was thrashed and forced to leave the venue. The victim suffered injuries and had to be hospitalised.

Festival of inclusion

“Traditionally garba has been a festival of inclusion in Gujarat. It used to be these nine days of festivities when Gujaratis would dance on roads, irrespective of their caste and creed. However, for the past few years, certain anti-social elements have been trying to add communal colour to the festivities and the government has not done anything about it,” said Haresh, a garba enthusiast who was witness to the ruckus at Sargasan garba venue.

“People wait the whole year and pay a lot for entry tickets to participate in garba. It is our most important festival. We do not want the festivities to be ruined because of some anti-social elements,” he added.