After over three decades, authorities allowed the 8th Muharram procession to pass through its traditional route on Thursday.
The administration has granted two-hour permission to the procession. It is to be carried out between 6 am to 8 am. Notably, the procession is being carried out on the traditional route of Shaheed Gunj to Dalgate, a route which was thrown out of bounds for the processions in the backdrop of the law and order situation since 1989.
The administration put all security arrangements in place to prevent any law and order situation during processions.
“We sincerely wanted that the long pending request to carry the eighth procession through its traditional route be fulfilled. We have kept all the aspects in mind. Since tomorrow is a working day, there is huge traffic on the route. So prioritizing the convenience of people and their (Muslims) demands as well, the procession will be carried out between 6 am to 8 am”, said Divisional Commissioner (Kashmir) Vijay Kumar Bidhuri on Wednesday.
Significantly, a day earlier, the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Kashmir Zone Vijay Kumar chaired a high-level meeting to discuss arrangements for Muharram.
Security measures in terms of personnel deployment and technological enhancements, management of religious processions, crowd management, preventing any untoward incidents and maintaining a peaceful environment, and traffic management were discussed.
SSP Srinagar was also advised to use technology like drones to monitor crowd gathering.
ADGP Kashmir also called upon all citizens to be vigilant, report any suspicious activities and cooperate with the authorities to make Muharram a safe and secure occasion for everyone.
Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, holds deep religious significance among Muslims.