Curfew was relaxed doe four hours in the morning and four hours in the afternoon in Saharanpur today.
Saharanpur celebrated a somewhat muted Eid within the few hours curfew was relaxed in the town, where three people were killed in communal clashes on Saturday over a piece of disputed land. (
In Riot-Hit Saharanpur, Eid in the Shadow of Curfew)
Authorities relaxed the curfew in the old part of the city, which has a sizable Muslim population, for four hours in the morning and four hours in the afternoon.
Thousands turned up at the local Eidgah to offer prayers; some of them sported black arm bands to mark the somber mood. (
Curfew Relaxed in Saharanpur, Political Blame Game Continues)
"Eid is about peace and harmony. This time, a message is going out to maintain brotherhood between communities", said Eidgah committee member Akbar Zubairi.
In the Muslim neighbourhood close to the disputed land, the streets took on a deserted look as soon as curfew was re-imposed. Police jeeps roamed the streets, their sirens blaring, while paramilitary troops patrolled the highway that separates the area from the new part of the town, with a predominant Sikh population. (
In Saharanpur, a Highway has Become the Symbol of Divide)
In a by-lane in old Saharanpur, three Muslim and Hindu families have lived next to each other, and celebrated Eid together, for years. Today, they could not do so. (
Saharanpur: Three Killed, 20 Injured in Violent Clashes)
Haji Riyasat, 44, says, "There are no sweets to offer to my neighbours as we ran out of milk. I read my prayers and returned from the mosque. That was my Eid celebration."
His neighbour Sanjay Aggarwal, who runs a dairy, could not help out due to lack of supplies. "It does not feel like Eid today," he says.
For Mr Riyasat's wife Shahjahan, the traditionally '
meethi (sweet) Eid' has gone quite
pheeki (bland).
"We would prepare sweets, stay up the whole night, put on
mehendi, get the children ready and visit our relatives. This time we could not even make sweets, let alone distribute them," she rues.
Despite a quiet Eid, district officials point out that there has been no violent episode over the last 48 hours, indicating that the situation in the town was steadily returning to normal.