Chhattisgarh Waqf Board chief urges Muslim youth to stay away from garba events

Raipur: The chairperson of the Chhattisgarh Waqf Board, Salim Raj, has appealed to Muslim youths to avoid taking part in garba events during the Navratri festival, saying the folk dance is a devotional performance dedicated to the Hindu goddess Durga, The Hindu reported.

In a statement shared on the board’s WhatsApp group, Raj said: “If the Muslim community does not believe in idol worship, they should stay away from religious events like garba.” He added that those wishing to participate respectfully, in line with traditions and dress codes, could do so with the organizers' permission.

“Entering garba venues with malicious intent and attempting to create a disturbance hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community, potentially disrupting social harmony,” the statement noted. Raj later clarified to The Hindu that it was an appeal, not a directive.

Garba, a Gujarati folk dance performed in circular formations around a lamp or idol, is central to Navratri celebrations, which began on Monday and run until October 2.

Raj’s remarks came amid rising demands from Hindutva groups in both Chhattisgarh and neighboring Madhya Pradesh for restrictions on participation in garba events. The Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Jagdalpur, for instance, insisted that festivities should begin only after participants apply tilak and recite the Hanuman Chalisa. “We will not tolerate vulgarity or distortion of culture in the name of garba,” said Munna Kori, a Bajrang Dal leader, The Times of India reported.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal are part of a group of Hindutva organizations led by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the parent organization of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

In Madhya Pradesh, Hindutva organizations and BJP leaders have pushed for dress codes and restrictions on non-Hindus at garba venues. Madhav Jha of the Hindu Jagran Manch in Khandwa said only traditional Indian attire should be allowed, with mandatory ID checks at entry, The New Indian Express reported. “No western clothing…including backless attire…should be permitted. The festival must be celebrated entirely in a traditional Indian manner and wearing traditional Indian dress should be mandatory,” he said.

“Garba is a Hindu festival, so non-Hindus should not be allowed to participate,” the newspaper quoted him as saying.

Police officials in Khandwa confirmed they had instructed organizers to ensure the events remain “free of obscenity and disturbances”, with Bollywood songs barred to “preserve the festival’s cultural integrity”.

Senior BJP leaders also backed the restrictions. Former state culture minister Usha Thakur said garba should be reserved for “true spiritual seekers” and expressed concern over “inappropriate attire” at such events. She reiterated her earlier demand to bar people of other faiths from attending, The New Indian Express reported.

Similarly, Ujjain MP Anil Firojiya called for organizers to verify identity cards and check for religious markers such as a tilak or sacred thread. “If a non-Hindu is found inside, legal action should be taken, as in previous years,” The New Indian Express quoted him as saying.