In India, where religion pervades every cubic inch of public space, the question of whether Muslims have the right to pray in the open has turned into a contentious debate, stirred up by Hindu nationalist groups and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Across the country, Hindu processions routinely tie up traffic, mosques use loudspeakers to call their faithful to prayer, and popular Christian preachers advertise themselves on billboards. Religion isn’t just plainly visible, it’s part of the fabric of daily life.
On Friday, however, right-wing Hindu activists in Gurugram, on the outskirts of Delhi, disrupted at least ten small groups of Muslims offering namaz in the open: by the side of the road, or in a park, or on vacant plots of land. The practice is a common one; Muslims who happen to be out of their homes and away from a mosque during the working day drop to prayer in the nearest convenient spot.
Friday’s string of disruptions was the second such incident in two weeks. On April 20 – also a Friday – a prayer session was interrupted in Wazirabad, in Gurugram. A cell-phone video showed members of the Sanyukt Hindu Sangharsh Samiti, a collective of a dozen Hindu nationalist groups and political parties, instructing a crowd of praying Muslims to rise and disperse from an otherwise-empty square of land.
The Samiti's members shouted Hindu slogans and declared, in Hindi: "No one will offer namaz here."
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After the video went viral, six of the men were arrested. But on Sunday the Samiti’s actions received political support from Manohar Lal Khattar, a senior BJP leader and the chief minister of Haryana, the state in which Gurugram lies. The BJP, the country’s most powerful political party, has close links to Hindu nationalist organisations
Muslims ought to pray in homes or in designated places such as mosques or shrines, Mr Khattar said. “This is not something which should be done in public places.”
The next day, one of Mr Khattar’s ministers, Anil Vij, reinforced the point, suggesting that Muslims were praying on open plots “with the intention of grabbing land… No permission can be granted for this.”
The BJP has drawn sharp political criticism for its stance. Ashok Tanwar, the Haryana chief of the Congress Party, which has traditionally courted India’s minorities, pointed out that, as a matter of routine “religious and social functions are held in public spaces.”
“The chief minister’s statement doesn’t show equal treatment for all,” Mr Tanwar said in a press statement on Monday. “The BJP…always has an agenda of playing with religious sentiments and disturbing communal harmony.”
On Tuesday, D. Suresh, Gurugram’s divisional commissioner and one of the district’s top-ranking bureaucrats, met representatives from the Muslim community and other residents. Mr Suresh had already met representatives of the Samiti on Monday.
Gurugram’s Muslims, represented by the Haryana Wakf Board, said in a letter to Mr Suresh that the region’s fast-growing population included Muslims who had streamed in from other places “to earn their bread and butter.”
Gurugram has very few mosques, the letter pointed out. "Because of this, Muslims have to read Friday namaz in parks and open grounds since there is no space provided for this."
Although Mr Suresh urged the communities to work together to find a solution to their opposing stances, the Samiti has warned that if its demand to halt prayer in public spaces isn't fulfilled, it will continue to disrupt Muslims offering namaz next Friday.
India’s constitution allows the freedom to practice any religion “subject to public order,” but the clause has always been read loosely. Gurugram and Delhi, for example, experience days on end of frozen traffic because of the procession of Kanwariyas – millions of devotees of the deity Shiva who stream through the city every summer
Having drawn holy water from the Ganges river in the foothills of the Himalayas, the Kanwariyas walk with their loads, via Delhi, to various towns in India’s northern plains. As India’s largest annual pilgrimage, it draws around 20 million participants.
Sonal Nerurkar, who lives in the Delhi suburb of Faridabad and has an office in Gurugram, has experienced not only the Kanwariyas but processions taken out by groups from other religions as well.
“On average, I spend more time stuck in traffic within Gurugram than it takes me to travel the distance from Faridabad,” Ms Nerurkar said. “Given how bad the traffic situation is, I think public religious demonstrations of any kind shouldn’t be encouraged.”
She mentioned Hindu wedding processions, in which a groom rides a horse to the wedding venue, backing up traffic for miles. “Why aren’t we objecting to that? It’s unfair to just target one religious community.”
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Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes.
Where to stay
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.
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