Doing Namaaz in the Open in Gurugram is Now ‘Land Jihad’

Two communities, two narratives. What went wrong with the Friday Namaz in Gurugram?

What went wrong while reading Namaz in open space? 

(Photo: Erum Gour/The Quint)

Friday, 20 April, 2018 was a usual day for jumma. Around 100-200 Muslims gathered together for reading namaz in a field opposite to Paras Hospital, in Sector 53 of Gurugram. People living in the nearby slum gathered there, but as they were preparing for their prayers, arranging their sheets and mats, about seven to eight young men put a halt to the evening prayers, shouting slogans like ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Vande Mataram’. The crowd dispersed without reacting. However, the video that captured this went viral.

These men, affiliated to the Sanyukt Hindi Sangharsh Samiti, say that Muslims should not be allowed to offer their prayers in open public spaces. This committee includes 12 organisations like Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Shivsena and Hindu Jagaran Manch among others.

Committee member and BJP leader Kulbhushan Bhardwaj says that they have no objection to namaz except that it shouldn’t be practised in open spaces. But complainant Shahzad Khan explains that for 15-20 years the practise of offering prayers in the open grounds of Gurugram have been prevalent. However, policing by Hindu groups is a first.

Video Editor: Sandeep Suman and Vishal Kumar