Rising tensions have erupted in Taloja Sector 9, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, as a dispute between Muslims and Hindus over Deepawali celebrations in public spaces escalates. The conflict unfolded outside Panchanand Society, where members of the Muslim community raised objections to decorative lighting displays for the Deepawali festival along the streets and common areas surrounding the building.
The situation became tense when a video, which has since gone viral, captured a group of men confronting Hindu women who were installing festive lights in honour of Deepawali. In the video, one man is seen threatening and verbally abusing the women, warning them against setting up lights. “Lights won’t be put up in the society. I will see to it that no lights are installed here,” he says. Shortly after, several individuals from his community join him, further opposing the Deepawali decorations. At one point in the footage, the man even threatens the woman recording the incident.
Maharashtra: Islamists threaten Hindus in Taloja Phase 1, Panchanand Society, Sector 9, against Diwali lights and are abusing Hindu ladies. pic.twitter.com/aKK4LPEizn
— Angry Saffron (@AngrySaffron) October 29, 2024
Community leaders and residents note that the latest dispute over Deepawali celebrations stems from simmering tensions dating back to June 2024, when a disagreement arose around Bakrid. Hindu families in the society had protested the bringing and public slaughtering of goats in shared areas for the Muslim festival, deeming it inappropriate for residential spaces. Following this incident, some Muslim members are now challenging the installation of Deepawali lights, drawing parallels between the display of festive lights and the slaughtering of animals during Bakrid.
“This kind of opposition disrupts the harmony we try to maintain here,” commented a resident of Panchanand Society, who wished to remain anonymous. The resident expressed concerns that what began as a difference of opinion over cultural practices is now escalating, threatening community cohesion.
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