Shias applauds government for lifting ban on Azadari in Kashmir

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 5 : The Shia community applauded the central and J-K administration for lifting the ban on Azadari processions, mourning Imam Hussain’s martyrdom, in the Kashmir valley after a hiatus of more than three decades.
Clerics demanded the Uttar Pradesh government lift the ban on the 945 Azadari processions that are still prohibited in Lucknow.
In a conference organized by All India Shia Hussaini Fund at Shia Degree College in Lucknow on Saturday, clerics said that the community had been demanding for decades that the ban on Azadari be lifted.
Now after the abrogation of Article 370, the government lifted the ban, which proves that normalcy is returning in the state, they noted.
Maulana Yasoob Abbas, general secretary of the All India Shia Personal Board, said that by lifting the ban on Azadari in Kashmir, the government had sent a positive signal to the community.
Maulana Yasoob asked the UP government to permit more Azadari processions during Muharram, which have been banned since the late 70s.
While addressing the gathering of Azadars (Mouners), Shia Cleric Maulana Saif Abbas raised a similar demand and said, "Imam Hussain is a revered figure not only among Muslims but the other communities respected and love him."
Maulana Abbas went on to say that the Shia Community is obliged to the government for making security and civic arrangements for our procession in Kashmir.
Senior Shia Cleric Maulana Saim Mehdi also expresses his gratitude to the government for allowing the traditional Azadari procession in Kashmir on 8th Moharram and said that the Shia community is always showing its loyalty to India.
Maulana Mustafa Ali Khan alias Shumail Hindi opined that this is one of the milestones in the history of Kashmir that the Azadari procession was taken out in Kashmir this year. Maulana Hindi demanded from central as well as all the provisional governments to ensure security arrangements like Kashmir for Azadari processions.
Hasan Mehdi, secretary of the All India Shia Hussaini Fund said that the Azadari processions of Kashmir indicate that normalcy is returning and terrorism is eradicated from Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370.
Tauraj Zaidi of the Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad Committee and Sardar Parmindar Singh of the Minority Commission were also present on this occasion and said that Imam Hussain sacrificed whatever he had to save humanity and Imam was the voice of human justice against Ummaya's arrogant, oppressor and cruel ruler Yazid.