Citizens brace up for Bakrid festival; cops on high alert

Hyderabad: As the Bakrid (Eid-ul-Adha) festival is being celebrated on June 17, the city was bustling with activity on Sunday as Hyderabadis prepared to celebrate Eid, which falls on the 10th day of the Islamic month of Zil-Hijjah. To ensure smooth conduct of the festival, the Hyderabad police have beefed up security and urged people to follow the government guidelines issued.

The traders have set up roadside stalls in Falaknuma, Chandrayangutta, Barkas, Malakpet, Chanchalguda, Enginebowli, Kalapatthar, Bahadurpura, Kishanbagh, Asifnagar, Mehdipatnam, Tolichowki, Golconda, and other areas. They sold a pair of sheep for Rs 28,000 to Rs 30,000 and more, depending on the size and breed. The prices, however, will see a decline on the second and third days of Eid.

Recently, authorities cleaned and spruced up the idgahs across the city, including Miralam at Bahadurpura, Khadeem at Madannapet, Bilali at Masab Tank, and other important places where Eid prayers are held. Officials of the TS Wakf Board, local MLAs, and the police inspected the arrangements for prayers at Miralam.

It is observed that the ‘Qurbani service’ is gaining momentum in the city. Many Muslim families preferred to hand over the task to agencies that provide Qurbani services. For the last few years, traders and organisations have been not only handling sacrifice but also making arrangements for slaughter, cutting, processing, and delivering it to doorsteps. This has gained popularity during the pandemic.

An observer said people residing in flats in residential complexes and gated communities, particularly in mixed-community areas, find this practice of surrogate or remote sacrifice to be the best option. It allows the smooth performance of a religious ritual without hurting anyone. Some residents of tradition-bound Old City are also opting for this facility,” felt Mohammed Akhlaq.

Maulana Mohammed Rizwan Qureshi, Khatib of Mecca Masjid, said, “A sacrificial sheep or goat has to be above the age of one year; a bull, ox, or buffalo has to be over two years of age. The animal should be free from obvious defects.” Muslim clerics and public representatives appealed to their brethren to dispose of animal viscera properly to keep the streets clean.

Meanwhile, following the clashes in some parts of the State, the police beefed up security in Hyderabad. Around 1,400 policemen, including the Rapid Action Force, civil police, Telangana Special Police, City Armed Reserve, and Task Force, will be deployed in major places in the city. The police have set up checkpoints in the city where teams of officials from various departments are checking documents that are necessary for the transport of cattle.

Security was beefed up in communally sensitive areas, and pickets were posted. The SHOs were asked to stay at the police stations and monitor activities in their jurisdictions.

South Zone DCP Sneha Mehra said, “It is a request; let us celebrate the festival of Eid together within guidelines given by the department and by the government. We hope that once the animal sacrifices are completed, the waste material is properly disposed of in GHMC bins so that we can keep our city neat and clean. If the carcass or any material is left outside the range, there is a high chance that diseases can spread.”

“We have ensured that proper arrangements are placed in all masjids so that prayers are completed peacefully. We will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the festival is celebrated peacefully,” she added.