Muharram: Muslims observe Ashura, commemorate martyrdom of Imam Hussain (AS)

Muslims offered special prayers as they observed Ashura on the tenth day of the Islamic month of Muharram and commemorated the martyrdom of Imam Hussain on Saturday At least eight people were killed due to electrocution and more than 80 injured in Jharkhand Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh as tazias came in contact with hightension wiresThere were also a few incidents of violence during Muharram processions taken out by Shia Muslims in places such as Delhi and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh PTI reportedPrime Minister Narendra Modi and several other leaders paid tributes to Hazrat Imam HussainWe recall the sacrifices made by Hazrat Imam Hussain AS His courage and commitment to the ideals of justice and human dignity are noteworthy Modi said on TwitterOn Ashura the 10th day of Muharram Muslims commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain Ali a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad in the battle of Karbala in 680 AD with mourning ritualsAlso readMuharram 2023 The religious and historical significance of AshuraDressed in black and chanting in unison Shias parade through streets beating their chests and chanting while some emulate the suffering of Hussain by flagellating themselves with chains ropes etc Sunni observe fast and offer prayers Tazia is a miniature replica of the tomb of Imam HussainElaborate security arrangements were made in states for peaceful processionsIn Delhi a section of people taking out Muharram processions clashed with police and pelted stones at them injuring around 10 cops and damaging several vehicles after they were stopped from changing the designated route in NangloiThe police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the unruly crowd officials saidDeputy Commissioner of Police Outer Harendra Singh said Several tazia processions were being carried out in Nagloi area and around eight to ten thousand people participated in them One or two organisers became unruly and tried to divert their procession route which was earlier decidedWhen police objected to it they started pelting stones at police personnel In order to control them police resorted to a mild lathicharge and dispersed them from the area Singh saidIn Uttar Pradesh two persons lost their lives and 52 sustained burn injuries in Didoli area of Amroha district when the music system of a tazia came within the electromagnetic field of the hightension wires Superintendent of Police Aditya Langeh saidThe deceased were identified as Shanu 35 and Owais 13 Among the injured around four were critical and sent to Delhi for treatment he saidIn state capital Lucknow a man participating in a Muharram procession sustained burn injuries when the tazia caught fire after coming in contact with a hightension wire The injured was in a critical condition officials saidIn Lucknow several Muharram processions were taken out by mourners especially in the old city areaIn Varanasi a clash broke out between members of Shia and Sunni communities and stone pelting during a Muharram procession a police official saidThe official said some people were injured in the incident but added the exact number was not immediately availableIn Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha joined a Muharram procession of Shia mourners in SrinagarThis is the first time in 35 years that a head of the state has joined the Muharram procession officials saidDressed in a black kurta Sinha joined the procession at Bota Kadal in the Zadibal area of Downtown the interior areas of the city escorted by a tight security cover they saidHe urged people to imbibe the eternal ideals of Hazrat Imam Hussain and work unitedly for peace progress and prosperity of allAdditional Director General of Police ADGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said strict security arrangements had been made ahead of the processionNational Conference president Farooq Abdullah visited the Zadibal area to join the mourners and distributed foodAbdullah said there is no Islamic country left in the world which is not beset with problems because we left the path of Allah and took the path of the devilUnless we tread the path of God again we cannot prosper he addedIn Jharkhand four people were killed and 10 others injured after a tazia came in contact with a hightension wire while preparing for a Muharram procession in Bokaro districtThe incident occurred at Khetko village around 80 km from the state capital RanchiAll the injured people were taken to a nearby hospital Thereafter they were referred to the Bokaro General Hospital where four succumbed to their injuriesThe deceased were identified as Sajid Ansari 18 Ashif Raza 21 Ghulam Hussain 19 and Enamul Rab 34Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren expressed grief over the death of four peopleElaborate security arrangements have been made in Ranchi and other parts of Jharkhand on Saturday to avoid any untoward incident during Muharram processions police saidIn Gujarat two persons died due to electrocution and 22 were injured during a Muharram procession in Rajkot districtThe incident took place in Rasul Para area of Dhoraji town as a tazia came in contact with a 22 KV overhead electricity wire The deceased were identified as Junaid Majothi 22 and Sajid Sama 20Andhra Pradesh Governor S Abdul Nazeer said Muharram symbolizes the spirit of sacrifice which is placed above all virtues of mankindHe said the remembrance of goodness and sacrifice is the true meaning of Muharram and called on people to emulate the spirit of Muharram embodying humanism which is the core principle of IslamIn Maharashtra hundreds of police personnel were deployed on the streets of Mumbai and its suburbs to prevent any untoward incident during Muharram processionsThe police tightened security in south Mumbai the suburbs of Mankhurd Malwani Kurla and other Muslimdominated areas of the cityAndhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy wished for the mercy of God on the southern state as Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calender He added that Muharram is the epitome of sacrificeTazia processions were also taken out in Bengaluru and Hubballi in Karnataka Jaipur and Sikar in Rajasthan Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal and Delhi With inputs from PTI