People dancing as Garba during the Navratri festival in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. File | Photo Credit: Hind
On Tuesday (September 23, 2025), the Chairman of the Board of Directors (23 September 2025) appealed to Muslim youth on Tuesday to stay far from Garba functions during the ongoing Navratri festival in Bharatiya Janata. While the appeal has resonated with such requirements raised by right-wing leaders in recent years, this is a rare example of the WAQF-Tělo Council, which works on the management and regulation of the WAQF properties.
In a statement published on the official Group of WhatsApp Council of Chhattisgarh Waqf, his chairman Salim Raj wrote that entering the Garba places with a “harmful intention” injured sentiments of the Hindu community and potentially disrupted social harmony.
“There’s no dance event”
He wrote that Garba was not an ordinary dance event and was a devoted folk dance that worshiped the goddess Durg, symbolizing the cycle of life and the infinite power of the goddess. “If the Muslim community does not believe in the worship of idols, it should continue from religious events like Garba,” he added.
According to Mr. Raj, Mr. Raj explained that if someone would like to attend a Muslim brother or sister, respect clothing and tradition and obtain permission from the committee, we will not obey. However, he added: “Entering Garba places with a harmful intention and attempt to create disruption will hurt sentiments of the Hindu community, potentially disrupting social harmony”.
Appeal, not an order
In the interaction with Hindu, Mr. Raj claimed that he had issued an official post and that it was an appeal and not an order.
Regarding the content and need to issue such an appeal, he said that there were controversies about the participation of Muslims in pandals. “After all, it is a question of faith, Garba is not just a dance floor,” he said.
Evokes criticism
This step brought some criticism of some in the Muslim community. Salam Rizvi, former chairman of WAQF, said that such appeals attracted the invisible boundaries between the communities and that there should always be an attempt to encourage various communities to celebrate their festivals together. “Social harmony is influenced when people move away,” he said.
Mr. Rizvi also stressed that while Mr Raj could have issued such an appeal in his personal office, his short chairman of WAQF exceeded his short chairman.
Published – 23 September 2025 17:24
