Muharram Procession Permitted in Srinagar by Kashmir Government After Thirty Years

After a hiatus of over three decades, the Shia Mourner's procession has been permitted in the Kashmir Valley, thanks to the administration of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in Jammu and Kashmir. This development came after a ban that lasted more than 30 years and prevented the 8th Muharram procession from taking its traditional path through the Lal Chowk region in Srinagar.

With the procession set to move through the streets of Srinagar with thousands of mourners, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have implemented stringent security measures. The J&K government offered a window of two hours from 6:00 am to 8:00 am (IST) for the procession to take place.

Vijay Kumar, ADGP of the Kashmir Police, said, "The Shia community has been asking for permission for the last three to four years continuously and when the government decided to allow the procession, we accordingly put in place all the necessary security arrangements. The three-tier security arrangements are in place for the security of mourners."

The mourners took the conventional route from Shaheed Gunj to the Dalgate area in Srinagar. This route had been previously made inaccessible for processions due to the emergence of insurgency and law-and-order complications since 1989. After consulting with numerous Shia religious leaders, the administration finally approved the procession and prepared all necessary security measures to prevent potential disruptions.

Asad Aijaz, the deputy commissioner of Srinagar, expressed his relief, adding, "We sincerely wanted that the long pending request to carry the eighth procession through its traditional route be fulfilled. Finally, the procession has been allowed and they are very happy to see this happen after over 34 years of ban."

The Shia community has expressed gratitude to the LG administration for permitting the traditional procession after such a prolonged ban.