This Muharram, majoritarianism won in the northwest district of Bawana in Delhi as many Muslims refrained from participating in the Taziya procession. Despite heavy police and paramilitary deployment, fears loomed large after a Mahapanchayat, held on Sunday, demanded that the procession be banned from entering the main Bawana village and market.

A Jat shopkeeper near the main market square states, very matter-of-factly, that in case “they” enter the main village, there will be bloodshed: “Qatl-e-aam ho jaeyega.” He then says proudly that Muslims residing in his neighbourhood have signed on papers stating that they want nothing to do with Taziya.

A cluster of about 200 villages, Bawana is a Jat-dominated census town. Muslims are largely concentrated in JJ Colony, which was set up in 2004 to resettle people residing near the Yamuna belt. It has been ritual for the past nine years for Taziya processions to begin from the JJ colony and chart a course of about 10 km from there to end near Bawana market.

This year the procession remained restricted within the compounds of JJ Colony, with police barricading the entrance to it. Normally, residents have to seek permission from the concerned Deputy Commissioner of Police before taking out processions. Details like the route to be taken and the number of people taking part have to be given to the administration for them to furnish permissions and make adequate security arrangements. “We have never had any problems getting permission for Taziya. This time, when we went to the thana, police advised us that there may be problems and that they could not guarantee what would happen if we enter the village. None of us want trouble, so we decided to stick to our colony,” says Mehfooz Alam, a resident of JJ Colony.

Many in the colony like Mehfooz stated that they want “aman” (peace) and hence refrained from making Muharram rituals a big deal this year. “The problem began from Eid on October 6, when a group of about 70-80 people stormed the colony alleging that a truck full of cows had entered the colony for sacrifice. They alleged that we slaughtered cows and searched our homes and mosques,” says Mohammad Shahabuddin, another resident. Some claim that the group consisted of members of the Bhagat Singh Sena – a group formed by local Jat youth in Bawana – and Gau Raksha Dal.

“Given how tense the situation had been since Eid, it was decided on October 24 itself that the Taziya procession would not enter the main village. Why then was the Mahapanchayat held just two days before Muharram?” asks Mohammed Suleman, a local pradhan of sorts. He says there is a clear attempt at dividing people before the elections. According to reports, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA, Guggan Singh, attended the Mahapanchayat and warned of consequences if the Taziya procession entered Hindu colonies. Given how Mahapanchayats in Muzzafarnagar mobilised communal riots and were used politically, Suleman’s assertions hardly come as a surprise.

JJ Colony has a population of 60 per cent Muslims, while the rest are Hindus. So far, residents claim they have had no issues. Hindus within the colony have been more than forthcoming to make sure Muharram is observed the way it has been for the past few years.

The acceptance to curtail the procession within the colony, however, speaks volumes about the kind of fear minority communities are beginning to perceive under the new dispensation. Murmurs against Modi sarkaar can be heard among the young who feel such problems would not have happened if it was not for the new government. Elders of the colony state that the gunda elements certainly feel more empowered now to create trouble. For now, they have accepted their fate and bartered their right to observe their festival freely for peace. But the decision most certainly sets a dangerous precedent, paving way for majoritarian politics to marginalise or even quell the rights of minorities.