Darul Uloom Deoband urges students to avoid Kanwar Yatra routes
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Saharanpur: Darul Uloom Deoband, one of India's leading Islamic seminaries, has issued a special advisory asking its students to avoid unnecessary movement along Kanwar Yatra routes and crowded areas as a precautionary measure during the ongoing pilgrimage.
The written advisory, issued on Wednesday (August 5) by hostel in-charge Maulana Ashraf Abbas, said the measures were intended to ensure the safety of students and maintain discipline during the annual Kanwar Yatra.
Students have been instructed to avoid unnecessary travel, particularly along Kanwar routes and the GT Road, and to leave the campus only when absolutely necessary.
The advisory also states that no student will be permitted to enter the campus after sunset without producing the institution-issued identity card. The seminary said the restrictions are aimed at ensuring security and maintaining orderly movement during the pilgrimage.
The advisory comes amid a series of violent incidents reported during this year's Kanwar Yatra, which is scheduled to conclude on August 11.
On August 3, a group of Kanwariyas allegedly attacked a school van carrying primary school students in Lucknow, smashing its windows. Police said no children were injured and added that the accused had been identified using CCTV footage.
In another incident in Haridwar, a group of Kanwar pilgrims was caught on video allegedly assaulting a car occupant and vandalising his vehicle following a minor collision with their carriages. According to reports, the assault continued after the victim later reached Meerut.
Incidents of violence and communal tension during the Kanwar Yatra have repeatedly drawn criticism in previous years. Reports have documented cases of vandalism targeting Muslim-owned shops, eateries and vehicles along the pilgrimage route. Traders in several towns have also alleged being pressured to shut their establishments or cover shopfronts during the yatra, while local administrations in some districts have imposed temporary restrictions on business operations for the duration of the pilgrimage.