Communal amity and brotherhood surfaced prominently when the Vinayaka idols processions were taken out for immersion in the city on Friday evening, as members of the Muslim, Christian and Jain communities joyously exchanged pleasantries with their Hindu brethren.
At a reception organised by the City Police authorities, members of the minority community assembled near the Gandhi Market arch and greeted the procession organisers belonging to different Hindu organisations and distributed sweets to them while expressing their good wishes, symbolising community amity in no small measure.
The idols were taken out in processions by various Hindu organisations including the Hindu Munnani and the Hindu Dravida Marumalarchi from different parts of the city for immersion in the Cauvery river here. The main procession commenced from the Sedal Mariamman temple in Beemanagar.
The warm reception, in which the Commissioner of Police Shailesh Kumar Yadav also took part, was organised in front of the Begum Sahiba Nawab mosque near the Gandhi Market arch. The organisers of the idols processions were also presented with shawls.
It was indeed a striking instance of communal harmony that prevails among different communities. It also went to display that there was no animosity between the Muslims and the Hindus, said G.M. Hashim, district president of Indian Union Muslim League, who was also present at the reception. The Commissioner of Police Shailesh Kumar Yadav appealed to the gathering to take part in all religious festivals in future to reinforce communal harmony.
