Hindutva groups demand ban on Muslims from Gujarat garba events
Ahmedabad: Hindutva organisations, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal, have intensified efforts to exclude Muslims from Gujarat’s Navratri garba celebrations, targeting Muslim workers and performers while pressuring police and event organisers to restrict their participation.
The campaign has triggered confrontations at multiple venues, with groups submitting petitions seeking restrictions on Muslim entry.
On October 14, an announcement at a garba event in Ahmedabad featuring singer Aditya Gadhvi urged Muslims and people belonging to other religions to leave the venue voluntarily. A helpline number was also publicised for reporting individuals considered suspicious. Gadhvi subsequently distanced himself from the announcement, stating that it had been made without his knowledge or consent and that a group backstage had misused his platform.
Similar tensions were reported at the United Way of Baroda’s garba event in Vadodara. In Bhavnagar, the engagement of Muslim musicians for a dandiya programme also triggered protests.
On October 13, police detained more than 40 activists, including members of the Antarashtriya Hindu Parishad, after they protested against Muslim participation at the Rangoli Party Plot in the Vartej area. They were later released, with authorities taking preventive measures.
The exclusionary campaign has drawn attention to the contradiction between religious gatekeeping and garba’s cultural traditions. Recognised by UNESCO in 2023 on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, garba is associated with bringing people from diverse religious and social backgrounds together.
Authorities have stressed the need to maintain law and order during the festivities, urging people to report unlawful activities or harassment to the police. However, the incidents have raised concerns over attempts by Hindutva groups to turn public cultural celebrations into spaces where Muslims face pressure and exclusion.