Kashmir Muharram Processions Held with High Security; Top Leaders Join Mourners
Muharram processions were held across the Kashmir valley on Friday to mark 'Ashura', the solemn day commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, grandson of Prophet Muhammad, at the Battle of Karbala in the 7th century. Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah joined the mourners in Srinagar.
Shia mourners assembled early in the morning at Srinagar's Gulshan Bagh in Botakadal and marched through the streets to Zadibal in the old city, reciting elegies and performing chest beating as a sign of grief. Major processions were also held in Budgam, Baramulla, Bandipora, Pulwama, and Anantnag.
The processions were conducted under multi-tier security, with police issuing advisories against provocative slogans, photographs of terrorists, or logos of banned organisations. Black banners bearing Islamic slogans and images of Iran's former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and current leader Mojtaba Khamenei were seen in the old city.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, accompanied by ministers and legislators, served refreshments to mourners at Zadibal. He said, 'The sacrifice of Hazrat Imam Hussain and the lessons we derive from that sacrifice are of immense importance. When we forget those teachings, we end up facing destruction and ruin.' He added that the historic Ashura procession, banned in the old city since the 1990s, would one day return to its traditional route.
Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha paid tributes to Imam Hussain and his companions, stating, 'Their supreme sacrifice for peace, love, and compassion remains an eternal guide to building a society rooted in equality and harmony.' Leaders of opposition parties also participated.
Inspector General of Police V.K. Birdi praised the public and volunteers for ensuring the peaceful conduct of the processions. 'The police had made special traffic and crowd management plans to ease movement through the congested lanes of the old city. Volunteers were deployed, and police protocols were duly followed,' he said.
