Aland town in Kalaburagi district of Karnataka was completely shut down on February 18 as representatives of both the Muslim and Hindu communities were allowed to perform Urus and Maha Shivaratri rituals at the historic Ladle Mashak dargah.
The Karnataka Waqf Tribunal and later Kalaburagi bench of the Karnataka High Court issued orders allowing 15 members of the Muslim community to perform Urus rituals between 8 a.m. and 12 noon, and 15 members of the Hindu community, including Siddalinga swamy of Karuneshwara mutt in Jewargi, to offer pooja to the Raghava Chaitanya Shivalinga inside the dargah between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Siddalinga swamy has served as State president of the right-wing outfit Sri Ram Sena.
Taking into account the disturbance that the town had witnessed during Maha Shivaratri and Urus festivities in 2022 on the same issue, residents preferred to remain indoors this year. Shops, trading units and business establishments remained closed for the day. Public transport system was paralysed and private vehicles were barred from moving in the town. Some of the shopkeepers said that they closed their business outlets on the directions of the police. However, Superintendent of Police Isha Pant, who had been camping in the town for the last few days, insisted that the police did not force any shopkeeper to close their shop.
Superintendent of Police Isha Pant (right) had been camping in Aland for the last few days in view of the controversy over the Urus and offering pooja during Maha Shivaratri at the historic Ladle Mashak dargah.
As a precautionary measure, Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner Yeshwanth Gurukar clamped Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) in the town municipal limits. The police department deployed personnel in and around the town, especially near the controversial dargah. Barricades were put up everywhere, and all vehicles were stopped on the outskirts of the town.
Though the court had given permission to 15 members each from the Muslim and the Hindu communities, only 14 members from the Muslim community entered the dargah for the Urus, and completed the rituals at 11.43 a.m.
After performing Urus rituals, dargah manager Mohammed Sadat Ansari told media representatives, “What is happening in the name of religion is not right. This dargah belongs to everyone. Both Muslims and Hindus have been devotees of this holy place for centuries. There had been no problems between Hindus and Muslims all these years, as they were living peacefully as brothers. Now, enmity and hatred are being cultivated between the two communities by vested interests. It is clearly politics. I appeal to both communities not to fall prey to such efforts.”
