No weapons, tall Tazias during Muharram procession, says Kolkata Police
Kolkata, June 24
The Kolkata Police have announced that no weapons of any type are permitted to be displayed during Muharram. Additionally, the police have stated that DJs are not allowed to be played during the procession, and excessively tall tazias are prohibited.
The police also said on Wednesday that permission for any new processions will not be granted.
Instructions in this regard have been sent to all police stations under its jurisdiction on Tuesday evening.
According to the police officer, the decisions have been taken to maintain communal harmony in the city and ensure law and order.
Muharram will be celebrated across the state, including Kolkata, next Friday. In view of this, Deputy Commissioner-rank officers of the concerned police station held a meeting with the officers of each police station.
The instructions of Lalbazar (Kolkata Police headquarters) were conveyed to the police stations. Lalbazar (Kolkata Police headquarters) said that no new processions will be allowed during Muharram. Only those processions that have been going out for many years will be allowed. No weapons will be displayed in any procession. The police have instructed that the height of the Tazia should not be excessive in any procession to ensure no damage to cables or electricity wires. This is also to ensure the safety of the people.
In addition, Lalbazar has ordered that no DJs should be played in any procession. Even if a microphone/loudspeaker is used during the procession, it should be played as per the Calcutta High Court's permitted noise levels. Organisers of such processions will have to ensure that there is no noise pollution.
It has been advised not to give any sensitive message from the procession. Police officers have been asked to keep an eye on these issues.
In addition, police officers have been instructed to hold a meeting with those who will take out the procession.
Lalbazar is deploying additional police personnel on the roads through which the procession will move on Friday. The police said that special attention will be paid to maintain harmony.
— IANS
Reader Comments
I understand the need for law and order, but banning DJs seems like an overreach. Many young people in the community enjoy the cultural aspects of the procession with some music. Why not just set reasonable noise limits instead of a complete ban? The police could work with organisers to find a middle ground rather than imposing blanket restrictions.
Good decision. Kolkata is a model of communal harmony and these precautions will help maintain it. The ban on weapons is particularly important - we've seen elsewhere how processions can turn violent when people carry swords and guns. And limiting tazia height is just practical in a city with overhead wires everywhere. Well done Lalbazar!
Only approving old processions and banning new ones - that's a bit unfair to new neighbourhoods. Religious freedom means everyone should be able to organise processions if they follow the rules. But I get it, managing hundreds of processions across Kolkata is tough. Babus need to think of a better system though.
As someone living near a traditional procession route, I welcome these rules. Last year the DJ was blasting music until 2 AM and we couldn't sleep. Noise pollution is real - old people and children suffer. And those tall tazias almost got caught in the power lines near my building. Common sense rules that should have been there long ago. 💯
I'm all for harmony but why single out Muharram? Diwali has firecrackers causing noise and air pollution, Holi has colours wasting water. Every festival should have sensible regulations, not just one community
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