Thane collector appeals to tone down Eid on Monday

The Thane district collector has appealed to the residents to celebrate Eid in their homes and not step out or meet friends. At present, there are over 5,388 positive

The Thane district collector has appealed to the residents to celebrate Eid in their homes and not step out or meet friends. At present, there are over 5,388 positive cases in Thane district, which is in the red zone.

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Rajesh Narvekar, district collector, said, “The state on May 19, issued guidelines for lockdown-4 which states that shrines will be closed for any religious gathering. Moreover, any religious meetings or processions cannot be held until May 31. I want to appeal to all the members of the Muslim community to stay indoors and celebrate Eid with their families. They can meet their friends and relatives on social media through video calls.”

Several NGOs have also appealed to the people to stay home and not to visit the markets.

For 12-year-old, Abdul Azizi Mukaddam, who resides in Mumbra, he will miss spending time with his friends and going to fun fares. “This year owing to the coronavirus pandemic, we will be celebrating the festival at home with family. There are three huge fun fares in Kausa and Mumbra area which I attend every year with friends, and we spend our Eidi on it, however, this year since there are no fares, I might use the money for some good cause. We did not buy any new clothes nor we did any shopping this year. My friends and I will pray for this crisis to end this Eid.”

Salma Ansari, 26, a resident of Kadar Palace in Kausa, who is associated with Parcham, an NGO, said, “Eid is all about calling friends, neighbours and relatives at home. This year this will be missed as my friends won’t be coming over for Eid. We might visit our next-door neighbours, but there will be no social gatherings.”