02-07-2025
Tazias under 9 feet, no loudspeaker at night: Surat Police issues instructions for Muharram processions
The height of Tazias should not exceed 9 feet, Tazia makers should ensure that religious sentiments of other faiths are not harmed, and no loudspeaker should be used from 10 pm to 6am: These are some of the instructions that Surat Police has issued ahead of the upcoming Muharram processions.
Tazia processions will be carried out on July 17 in Surat and are expected to see participation by hundreds of people.
On Wednesday evening, Surat police commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut held a meeting with members of Surat city Tazia committee and Shanti Samiti (peace committee). Apart from top police officials, people from both Muslim and Hindu communities attended the meeting in which an appeal was issued to strictly follow the notification and ensure peaceful conduct of the procession.
According to the notification issued by Gahlaut, Tazias should be kept at designated locations and should not be taken out on the roads, except on the day of the procession. The area where Tazias are made and kept should not create any road blockages or traffic issues, it added. Tazias should not be abandoned, it said. On the day of the procession, only those Tazias that have the permit will be allowed to pass through the allotted route, the notification said. A sound limiter should be installed in the sound system, it added.
Due to the ongoing work of the Metro rail project on Raj Marg, the route of Tazia procession has been changed. The procession will start from Zampa Bazaar area, reach Lalgate on Raj Marg, take a turn and pass through Shahpore, Muglishara, and finally culminate at Hodi Bungalow.
To ensure law and order, police officers will wear body-worn cameras, allowing for continuous monitoring of the procession and identification of those who could disrupt the atmosphere. Besides, the proceedings will be monitored through the CCTV network.
Surat city Tazia committee president Arshad Kalyani said, 'This year, we have got requests from 330 Tazia makers. We have given them permit numbers and also prescribed them the routes they have to follow on the procession day. Our volunteers will stand on the roads to ensure the procession passes by peacefully.'
Commissioner Gahlaut said, 'We held a meeting with the Tazia committee and Shanti committee leaders and asked them to ensure that the processions go by peacefully. We have acted on Supreme Court guidelines… The height of Tazia has been fixed at 9 feet.'
