Sanjeev K. Sharma
JAMMU, May 13: No hugs and no embraces were witnessed in the city here today as it was Eid festival while there was festivity at social media with exchange of greetings among different people, even non-Muslims, all wishing for the normalcy to return.
Anyhow the mosques were mostly deserted like the roads which showed almost no activity and the markets remained close while the children missed new dresses and other expected Eid gifts from elders as the festival was marred by the shadow of second wave of deadly COVID-19 pandemic which has trapped almost entire of India leaving many dead and many more infected.
In this gloomy and panic atmosphere, Imam Mufti Inayat Ullah of Talab Khatikan Mosque in Jammu uttered heart touching words by saying: “One can’t enjoy festivity of Eid amidst daily burials and cremations,” while Mursaleem, 14, a class eighth student from Rajbagh, Srinagar said: “It’s Sunnat (moral duty) to save oneself and also others and for that we should stay at home till the situation returns to normalcy.”
Mursaleem said otherwise the children of her age had fun and they used to visit their friends and relatives on this day to extend Eid greetings but due to the pandemic it has not been happening for the second continuous year this time.
“Nothing seems good now and we expect good days back for which I along with my father have offered prayer to Almighty,” she said adding that she made no purchases today as she avoided venturing out to remain safe at home as the Corona infection has spread across the Kashmir valley.
Mursaleem said that all should stay at home to remain safe and let others too remain safe.
“All what is happening has no role of any regime or individual as it is something sent from same Almighty above who has blessed us with the festivals like Eid,” Mufti Inayat Ullah of Talab Khatikan Mosque said referring to COVID-19 pandemic.
“Amidst daily reports of large number of deaths and positive cases of Coronavirus all are in grief and none is in a position to celebrate the festival,” the religious head of Talab Khatikan mosque said adding: “Anyhow, we offered special prayers, though with a limited gathering, and wished that Almighty Allah may soon bless the mankind with relief from Corona so that we may again celebrate our festivals like before.”
The Islamic scholar advised all to follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of COVID till the pandemic is finished and prayed for peace to departed souls of Corona deceased people and recovery to those infected by it.
Mohd Nazir, 38, Sarpanch of Tyakshi, a hamlet at LoC in Turtuk-250 km from Ladakh said people in his village are offering prayers at their homes only as there are restrictions by authorities to control the Corona pandemic.
“Only a few shops are allowed to remain open in our village and that too for some hours and there is no buzz of the festival here this time like the last year,” he said claiming that people of his village are properly following guidelines of COVID-19 pandemic and all are offering prayers from their homes only.
Ghulam Hassan, from Bogdang in Nobra valley, Ladakh said due to the pandemic all the people are staying at home and offering prayers from there only.
“The market is closed, mosques are closed and same was the case during the month of Ramzan when sometimes we even found nothing in market for Iftar,” he said.
Tariq Ibrar, 35, from Dhanu-Rafta-hamlet near Akhnoor said some people in his village offered prayers at a local mosque following social distancing and other norms of COVID while others preferred to remain indoors.
Imran Kazi, 45, a Contractor from Ustad Mohalla in Jammu said that children missed Eid merriment this time too continuously for the second year.
“It is a tough time and one can’t do anything in this regard but can only follow SOPs of the authorities to remain safe,” he maintained.
It is pertinent to mention here that as the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic is claiming large number of lives in J&K and infecting thousands daily, the authorities here have clamped night curfew and lockdown restrictions during the day allowing only shops of some essential commodities to remain open for few hours daily.
However, the public had almost no problem in taking the restrictions this year to curb the further spread of pandemic as it was the continuous second year of pandemic and they had almost similar experience last year too during such festivals.
It is pertinent to mention here that the newly formed Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh along with Kerala celebrated Eid festival today while rest of the country will celebrate it tomorrow.
Meanwhile like other parts of UTs of J&K and Ladakh the celebrations of Eid -ul- Fiter remained a low key affair in Jammu regions. There was no gathering in Eid- gah Jammu where large number of people used to offer Namaz on the occasion of Eid. This time only a score of people including few children were seen offering prayers at Eidgah, Jammu. Same has been case with other mosques of the city including Jamia Masjid Jammu.
Due to Corona curfew Eid Namaz was offered very early in the morning in Ramban, Banihal, Doda and Kishtwar districts. People in various places were caught unaware about the celebration of Eid today as announcement was made late last night. There was thin gathering in mosques to perform Namaz. In normal times the prayers were offered at 10 am but this time Namaz was offered from 6-30 am to 7-00 am and 7 am to 8 am at different places due to lockdown. However, the people maintained social distancing while offering prayers at all places including Reasi and Udhampur. At Reasi the Namaz was offered by a selected gathering in Jamia Masjid and other mosque of the town while in Udhampur a selected gathering offered special Eid prayers at Aadarsh Colony Eidgah. In Bhadarwah and Kishtwar the Namaz was offered by people at their residences due to Corona curfew.
The Eid celebrations also remained a low key affair in twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch where a limited number of people offered Namaz in the Mosques. There was no hustle bustle in the markets also.
At various places the Imams themselves supervised the social distancing in mosques and use of masks by the people. They did not allow any one to enter mosques without wearing a mosque and appealed them to maintain social distancing and follow SOPs and other guidelines besides go for COVID vaccination.
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