The Christian community in Mumbai has expressed unhappiness over the Congress and AIMIM's demand for ban on alcohol on December 24 (Eid-e-Milad)

The Maharashtra government, whose decisions have contributed considerably to the larger national debate on intolerance, finds itself in a fix again.

Also read: Christian community reacts to the demands of liquor ban on December 24



Shoppers flock to Hill Road in Bandra to pick up their Christmas decorations. Pic/Swarali Purohit



The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and the Congress's demand for an alcohol ban on December 24 (Eid-e-Milad) has left the city's Christian community unhappy as it falls on Christmas Eve.



AIMIM legislator from Byculla, Waris Pathan and Congress MLA Arif Naseem Khan (right), had written to the CM, demanding a liquor ban on December 24

While the AIMIM and the Congress cited religious sentiments of Muslims for their demand, the Christian community said wine is an integral part of Christmas festivities, and not an indulgence. Responding to AIMIM leader Waris Pathan's statement that the ban can be lifted at the stroke of midnight, the community said mass was no more a midnight event in Mumbai and that Christmas prayers begin early and end by 11 pm thanks to noise rules in the city.

Though the archdiocese sought to play down the issue, insisting alcohol doesn't play a major part in festivities, citizens said the ban will affect the Christmas Eve spirit.

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Earlier in the day, the AIMIM accused the Congress of hijacking its idea for the ban, wondering why the Congress-led Democratic Front never enforced an alcohol ban on Eid-e-Milad in its 15-year rule. The AIMIM said the demand has been made keeping in mind the meat the Congress government had imposed during the Jain community's Paryushan Parva, which the BJP too has continued after coming to power.

Petty politics

Pathan, the AIMIM legislator from Byculla, said he and fellow party legislator from Aurangabad Imtiaz Jalil first raised the demand.

"The Congress banned meat during Paryushan Parva, but did not pay heed to our community's demand for declaring a dry day on Eid-e-Milad, which is the Prophet's birth and death anniversary. This is the Congress' discrimination against the Muslims and it is doing this now only to appease voters ahead of the Mumbai civic elections," Pathan told mid-day.

The Congress, on the other hand, sought to claim credit for the demand. MLA and former minority affairs ministers, Arif Naseem Khan, accused the AIMIM of stealing his party's idea and misleading Muslims.

"When many Muslim non-profit organisations approached us, I thought of taking it forward with the help of opposition leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and Samajwadi Party chief Abu Asim Azmi. I wrote a letter on my letterhead and all of us handed it over to CM Devendra Fadnavis last Friday," said Khan, adding that AIMIM swung into action only after they submitted a letter to the CM.

"The government should close down all liquor shops on the occasion of birth and death anniversary of Prophet Mohammed. Liquor is banned in Islam and, considering the religious sentiments of the community, the ban should be imposed," says the MLA's letter to Fadnavis.

Not against Christians

Both Pathan and Khan, however, insisted that the community and their parties were not in favour of marring the spirit of Christmas.

"Dry day regulations could end just before the Christmas mass starts at the stroke of midnight. The government may plan the declaration in a manner that does not hassle our Christian brothers," said Pathan.

He, however, seems to have forgotten that Christmas mass in recent years begin between 9 pm and 10 pm and end well before midnight, thanks to the noise laws in the city.

He said Eid-e-Milad and Christmas will not clash from next year. "Eid-e-Milad will be celebrated 10 days before Christmas next year. It will keep going back by 10 days as per our calendar," Khan said.

At the time of going to press, government sources said a decision was yet to be taken.

"The opposition has made it a political issue. The government will have to consider the political repercussions before taking any step," said a senior bureaucrat, requesting anonymity.