UP Lockdown: Bakrid to be celebrated at home

This year Bakrid (Eid-al-Adha) will be celebrated on 1st August in India. Given increasing Covid cases, many states have enforced mini-lockdowns. However, in Uttar Pradesh, the situation is tough as the weekend lockdown will be in force and the festival falls on Saturday.

Looking at the scenario, the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police, issued guidelines for the festival. Giving no ease to the restrictions, the state has urged the people to celebrate the festival at their homes.

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Eid-al-Adha (Bakrid) is one of the two Eids celebrated by Muslims annually. It is also called as the ‘Festival of Sacrifice’. This is because the day marks the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God’s command. It generally coincides with the end of Hajj. This year, Saudi Arabia announced that Bakrid would be celebrated on 31st July. However, the Shahi Imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, announced that in India, Bakrid would be celebrated on 1st August.

The Islamic Seminary, Darul Uloom Deoband, had earlier appealed to UP CM Yogi Adityanath to allow namaaz in mosques with social distancing. It had urged that the ‘5 people in mosque’ rule be lifted on account of the occasion.

Mufti Ashraf Usmani, Darul Uloom spokesperson, in a letter to CM, had asked for opening the markets and shopping malls. He had further urged to shift the lockdown to Tuesday and Wednesday.

Similarly, Rehman Barq, a Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal, had submitted a memorandum to the District Magistrate, Avinash Krishan, in regard of the festival. He had urged the DM to permit opening of animal markets. According to Barq, offering individual prayers at home will not be enough. He further demanded that Muslims be allowed in mosques to offer community prayers.

Earlier, the Maharashtra government had also asked the people to offer prayers at home.

“In the last four months, we have celebrated festivals of all religions in a restricted manner. Similarly, the coming Bakrid should also be celebrated in a simple and if possible, symbolic manner, by obeying rules”, said Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray.

A statement by the government added that there would be no relaxation for the festival. And the congregation of people in public places will not be allowed. According to PTI, the government might set up an online mechanism for the sale and purchase of goats.

Similarly, because of the rising cases, the UP government has decided to maintain lockdown restrictions. At present, the total cases in UP stand at 57,888. Out of these almost 34,000 people have recovered whereas 21,000 cases are active.

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