Weaponizing the Holi festival for communal polarisation
Irfan Engineer
According to advice of the Dy. Superintendent of Police in Sambhal – Anuj Kumar Chaudhary – that Muslims should stay indoors if they felt uncomfortable with Holi colours being sprinkled on them – as the festival comes only once a year, whereas Jumma namaz takes place 52 times in a year – it appears that the Muslims might have heeded his advice and remained indoors. There are no reported complaints from any Muslim that they were on streets – with or without any work – and got coloured. They changed the timing of their congregational Jumma namaz in the Holy month of Ramazan – to accommodate the Hindus observing their festival – and some might have decided to forgo their obligatory prayers. The Hindu nationalists in Sambhal (UP), and in other BJP ruled states had the streets entirely to themselves till they wanted. Chaupai, a Holi procession passed peacefully through 10 mosques in Sambhal, including the border wall of Shahi Jama Masjid (Pragynesh, 2025). The BJP MLA from Bihar – Haribhushan Thakur Bachol – made a similar appeal on the legislative assembly premises, asking Muslims to stay indoors on the day of Holi (Pandey, 2025). No one from the BJP or their alliance partners in Bihar, including JD(U) condemned the statement.
Hansraj Meena (25) in Dausa (Rajasthan) ventured out and despite his objection, colour was forcibly applied on him. He died after being assaulted by three persons who applied colour on him. Meena should have remained indoors but he ventured out to go to a library to prepare for his state civil service exams. He did not heed the advice of Dy.S.P. Chaudhary (Khan, 2025).
Provocative slogans were raised during Shimga festival on 13th March, 2025, when Madachi miravnuk, an old Konkani ritual, when tree trunks are carried to the Dhopeshwar temple in Rajapur (Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra) on the eve of Holi. Those carrying the tree trunk rammed into the mosque gate several times while raising provocative slogans (Express News Service, 2025). Muslims staying indoors did not protect this mosque.
UP police had to baton charge the traditional ‘laat sahab’ procession in Shahjahanpur district as those participating in the procession threw brickbats on the police, injuring three of them. Trouble started when those playing Holi threw footwears at the police (Rozana Sahafat, 2025). In Unnao (UP), drunk Holi revelers threw brickbats at the police in which three police officers were injured. To control them, police used their batons to disperse them. In the baton charge, many revelers were injured (Rozana Sahafat, 2025). In the traditional Phag procession in Gunj Muradabad village, on 14th March 2025, they were singing objectionable songs. At the conclusion of the procession, some drunk youth started teasing and playing mischief. When police resorted to mild baton charge, they started throwing brickbats at police. At least three police personnel were injured due to the brickbats thrown at them (Rozana Sahafat, 2025). Muslims remaining indoors did not save the police or the drunken brawls resorted by the revelers.
On 13th March 2025, on the eve of Holi festival, a man in Dombivili, a distant suburb of Mumbai, attacked a 17-year-old boy when a water balloon allegedly thrown by him landed on the man (Press Trust of India, 2025). This man in Dombivili did not heed the advice of the Dy.S.P. of Sambahal resulting in unnecessary conflict.
Does policing and maintaining law and order mean asking law abiding citizens from marginalized communities to remain indoors, while the potential law breakers from more powerful and dominant sections of the society have the freedom to indulge in revelry even in violation of law endangering peace? In the same vein, women are asked to remain indoors if they do not want to be sexually assaulted.
This approach also encourages those who believe in ‘might is right’ doctrine to be law unto themselves. The Dy.S.P. of Sambhal Anuj Kumar Chaudhary is seen in the viral video taking note of the fact that during the Holi festival people consume bhang (cannabis) and therefore mishaps of forcibly applying colours on Muslims might occur. However, he does not warn the consumers of cannabis. Will the police advice Indians who do not want to be killed in a potential road accident to remain indoors on the eve of new year celebrations as the likelihood of drunken driving increases?
Muslims are not the only victims during the Holi festival. Many Hindus do not like to be coloured. Women also are vary of Holi festival as they too are targeted by strangers against their wish on the pretext that everything is permissible during Holi. They say “bura na mano Holi hai”. The BJP and Hindu nationalists use the occasion to communally polarize people and assert dominance of Hindus. However, the moot question is, shouldn’t we take note of what damage such an approach will do to the Hindu religion and ethics? Not long ago, these festivals were celebrated peacefully with participation of people from all communities. This writer has also enjoyed playing Holi in his school days, and indeed taking part in all other festivals of all religious communities. The unprecedented and massive deployment of police force now necessary since a decade tells its own story. Holi is such a beautiful festival in which one reminds oneself to burn all negative feelings and instincts like acquisitive desires, selfishness, jealousy, fear, hatred into the Holi fire. Mughal emperors too played Holi with their durbaris for days together and called it Eid-e-Gulabi. Amir Khusro and many Muslim poets have composed beautiful verses on Holi.
