The chairperson of the Chhattisgarh Waqf Board, Salim Raj, on Tuesday appealed to Muslim youths to avoid participating in garba events during the ongoing Navratri festival, The Hindu reported.

Waqf boards are state-level bodies that manage charitable endowments made by Muslims for community and religious welfare.

In a statement shared on the board’s WhatsApp group, Raj said that garba was not “an ordinary dance event” but a devotional folk performance in worship of Hindu deity Durga.

“If the Muslim community does not believe in idol worship, they should stay away from religious events like garba,” the statement added.

Garba is a Gujarati folk dance, performed in a circular pattern around a lamp or an idol, symbolising Durga. It is performed during the Navratri festival, which began on Monday and will conclude on October 2 this year.

Raj said that those who wished to take part with respect for the traditions and attire could do so with the organisers’ permission, The Hindu reported.

“Entering garba venues with malicious intent and attempting to create a disturbance hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community, potentially disrupting social harmony,” the statement added.

Raj told The Hindu that his statement was an appeal and not a directive.

He said that there have been controversies about the participation of Muslims in garba events.

Raj’s statement came amid reports that members of the Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad have demanded that garba events in Chhattisgarh should maintain “sanctity and cultural purity”.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal are part of a group of Hindutva organisations led by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the parent organisation of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

In Jagdalpur district, the Hindutva groups announced that garba events should begin only after participants apply tilak and recite the devotional hymn Hanuman Chalisa, The Times of India reported.

Munna Kori, a Bajrang Dal leader from Jagdalpur, told The Times of India that Navratri was a “time of devotion”.

“We will not tolerate vulgarity or distortion of culture in the name of garba,” he said.

In MP, calls for dress code, restricting non-Hindus’ participation

Hindutva organisations and several BJP leaders in Madhya Pradesh have called for dress codes, and restrictions on music and participation of non-Hindus in garba events, The New Indian Express reported.

Madhav Jha, the Khandwa district convener of the Hindu Jagran Manch, said that only traditional Indian attire should be permitted inside garba sites, the newspaper reported.

“No western clothing…including backless attire…should be permitted,” The New Indian Express quoted Jha as saying. “The festival must be celebrated entirely in a traditional Indian manner and wearing traditional Indian dress should be mandatory.”

Jha also said that entry should only be granted after the identity cards of participants are checked.

“Garba is a Hindu festival, so non-Hindus should not be allowed to participate,” the newspaper quoted him as saying.

The Khandwa police said they have instructed organisers to ensure that the festivities are held “free of obscenity and disturbances”.

Khandwa Superintendent of Police Manoj Rai said that organisers have been instructed to conduct the event in a “completely traditional manner”, The New Indian Express reported.

“Bollywood songs will not be allowed at any garba venue to preserve the festival’s cultural integrity,” Rai added.

Several BJP leaders have also supported the demand for restrictions at garba events.

In Indore district, BJP leader and former state Culture Minister Usha Thakur said that it should be ensured that garba events are organised only by “true spiritual seekers”, The New Indian Express reported.

“The trend of women and girls attending garba events in revealing or inappropriate attire is worrying,” Thakur was quoted as saying. “Only traditional clothing should be permitted in the spirit of the festival.”

Thakur, who had earlier called for restricting the entry of persons from different faiths from entering garba events, reiterated the demand.

“Islam prohibits idol worship, so why are members of that community attending garba events, often by concealing their true identities,” the newspaper quoted her as saying.

Anil Firojiya, BJP MP from Ujjain, also said that organisers should verify participants’ identity cards and look for markers such as tilak on forehead or “sacred thread”.

“If a non-Hindu is found inside, legal action should be taken, as in previous years,” The New Indian Express quoted him as saying.

Also Read: Maharashtra: Row erupts after VHP urges garba organisers to not allow entry of non-Hindus

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