One Moharrum procession on August 20 with curbs in Maharashtra, says high court

MUMBAI: Bombay high court on Tuesday allowed the annual Moharrum procession from Bhendi Bazaar to Mazgaon cemetery from 4-7pm on August 20 with conditions due to Covid-19.
The procession will comprise seven trucks carrying five tazias (replica of mausoleum of Imam Hussain) with 15 persons on each truck and shall not exceed 100. They will have to be dual vaccinated and completed 14 days after the second dose. Only 25 of them will enter the cemetery. No crowds will be permitted at any point of the procession. It will be the only procession in representative capacity on behalf of the Shia community in the state.
The direction by a bench of Justices K K Tated and Prithviraj Chavan came on a petition by All-India Idaara-e-Tahafuz-Hussainiyat that said the August 9 unlock guidelines disallows processions and asks Muslims to observe Moharrum at home.
In August 2020, HC had allowed only one tazia with five persons on a truck. Senior advocate Rajendra Shirodkar, for the NGO, said it is seeking a similar order with more persons only on August 20 (holy day of Ashura). “Since the situation was grave last year, limited persons were permitted. This year, there are relaxations by the government,” he added.
Government pleader Poornima Kantharia said the latest guidelines do not permit religious processions and it will be difficult for police to control crowds. Justice Tated said, “Today’s position is you have relaxed all other things.” Shirodkar said last year the procession did not breach HC’s order.