SHILLONG:
The cancellation of the Hanuman Jayanti procession by the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of East Khasi Hills has caused disappointment and frustration among the members and supporters of the Shree Shree Hanuman Jayanti Utsav Samiti.
The Samiti, which has been celebrating the annual Hanuman Jayanti for over 50 years Hanuman Temple at Luckier Road, Shillong, had applied for permission to hold a procession on April 7, as part of the celebration. April 7, however, coincided with Good Friday.
The DC office revoked the permission in the late evening of April 6, citing law and order problem as the main reason.
According to a release issued by the Samiti, concerns were raised over the Samiti’s alleged links to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a right-wing Hindu nationalist organisation.
The Samiti has vehemently denied any connection to the VHP, stating that it is solely focused on the religious celebration of Hanuman Jayanti and has no affiliation with any political or social organisation.
The cancellation of the procession has caused great disappointment among the Samiti’s members and supporters, who view it as a violation of their religious freedom.
In a letter addressed to the DC, the Samiti said, “We are very much part of this state and respect the sentiments of the indigenous people who have always supported us and we have been living together in harmony. Such kind of allegations on us hurt our sentiments. The intention of writing to you is to clarify the matter that was raised by various people on social media and through your office.”
The Khasi Students Union (KSU) Laban Circle, on April 6, had submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills district with regard to the Vishwa Hindu Parshad (VHP) rally conducted on April 2, terming the said rally ‘disrespectful’ to other faiths.
The KSU had claimed that the faithful purposely stopped near Presbyterian Church and shouted slogans like ‘Jai Shree Ram’, which according to the union was ‘inappropriate’ on the part of the rallyists.