Before coming to Delhi in 2017, since class 8th, on every Eid, I used to visit my Muslim friend’s house in greed of mind-blowing food cooked by his mother. I have fortunately made some good memories.
Whenever I think of sewaiyan, matar chaar and dahi bade that I ate at Urooj’s house, my mouth salivates and I honestly miss those moments, food, and the ‘Eidi’ that I used to get from Urooj’s parents. Every year on Eid, I feel sad about not being in my hometown, Unnao.
I also feel sad when I look at the present and I see that a lot has changed. The atmosphere of the country in the recent few years has been adversely affected.
The most recent example is the case of Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone, where, as an act of punishment, local authorities illegally demolished about 50 properties owned by Muslims after communal clashes on 10th April 2022. The state’s action resulted in various appeals by Hindu fundamentalists and Hindutva outfits to emasculate Muslims economically and not to do business with them to “secure the future of Hindus”. Even a list with names of 40 shops owned or run by Muslims was circulated in the Hindu Whatsapp groups with an appeal to not buy anything from them.
If we look at history, a similar incident happened on April 1, 1933, in Germany when the Nazis carried out the first planned action against Jews: a boycott targeting Jewish businesses and professionals. Apparently, according to the Nazis, it was an act of revenge against “traitors of Germany”. German media didn’t give much attention to the incident and the rest is history.
Although I am an agnostic and don’t participate in religious events, I believe festivals aren’t just limited to religion. They also tell the cultural history of a region and can act as a medium to unite people of different religions. India being a diverse country has a rich history of communal harmony. People with different religious identities have in some way or other taken part in each other’s festivals and there is a dire need to re-establish and strengthen Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb which is slowly being erased, especially in the cow-belt states.
Religions, today, in my opinion, don’t just denote a cultural celebration. Not in these times when so much hate is being spread in the name of religion.
Last year, FabIndia, a clothing brand, was targeted and boycotted because it used Urdu words in an ad during the festive season of Diwali. Eventually, the brand was forced to withdraw the ad because the ‘boycott gang’ considered Urdu as a language of Muslims. Similarly, a jewelry brand was boycotted because it showed the bridal shower of an interfaith couple in the ad promoting its products.
As a Hindu, I feel when efforts are being made to stop and boycott any progressive thought promoting pluralism and unity among citizens, there is a dire need to take a stand against it. One way for us Hindus to show solidarity should be to celebrate Eid all over the country with the same enthusiasm as Muslims celebrate Diwali.
I visited Old Delhi yesterday, talked to some strangers at Ghalib’s Haveli, and we spent the whole day exploring the streets and food of Old Delhi together. Today, I am going to visit Jama Masjid again as the new friends I made yesterday have asked me to celebrate Eid with them. People have come forward to counter injustice in the country from time to time, be it standing in solidarity with the students who faced police brutality or supporting Anti CAA-NRC protestors of Shaheen Bagh. Before things get out of hand people should come forward again and stand in solidarity with fellow Muslim citizens who are being targeted because of their religious identity.
One small example of communal harmony came into the news last year when Muslims and Hindus came together to celebrate Eid al-Adha at the Taj Mahal in Agra. The event was organized by Hindustani Biradari, an organization founded by late journalist Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi. The organizer said, “Hindus and Muslims celebrating each other’s festivals together will revive the Idea of India ”.
Events like these need to be organized throughout the country. It can be the first step towards repairing fractured communal harmony and securing Sanjhi Virasat of Asfaqullah Khan and Ram Prasad Bismil. Today, in times when an entire community is being targeted for who they are, celebrating Eid becomes a social and political stand- of solidarity, strength, community and unity.