32 years on, peepal tree branch axed for amity in Uttar Pradesh

MEERUT/BAREILLY: Every Muharram, a branch of a peepal tree would be a hurdle and cause a headache to Bareilly authorities. It’s in a narrow lane in Maurya Mohalla under Baradari police station, a Hindu-dominated area, through which Tazia procession has been traditionally passing for hundreds of years.
This year, the district administration found relief as both communities agreed to cut the branch after talks initiated by Muslim counsellor Anees Saklaini and local BJP functionary Sanjeev Mishra.
In 1992, communal tension arose when the branch obstructed the 12-ft-high Tazia for the first time. Hindus, who considered the tree sacred, refused to cut the branch. This led to yearly communal tensions, with Muslims reluctant to change the procession route. Mild incidents of communal violence occurred, necessitating heavy police presence, including RAF and PAC units.
To ensure peace, the administration dug a 30-footlong and 4-foot-deep pit each year for the Tazia to pass through, which was later filled. “The tree is around 250 years old and adjacent to a temple. Earlier, there was no problem but the road was raised with repairs, causing the branch to obstruct the Tazia. Political opportunists and anti-social elements took advantage of the situation to stoke tensions,” Saklaini said.
“There were multiple sittings mediated by police officials and civic authorities. The area has 80% Hindus and the path leads to a sizeable Muslim population. We brought them to a common platform. After multiple talks, it was decided to cut the branch,” Mishra added. Locals are relieved after the branch was removed on Saturday. “Over the years, the site has become a hot spot.
The procession used to have 300 people but a crowd of over 3,000 would choke the lane to witness how the Tazia would negotiate its way through the pit and the branch. The pit would often fill with slush, posing a danger to children and there was always a fear of riots. We would move to relatives’ homes during this time,” said Puran Maurya, on whose parapet wall the branch rested. He tried for years to remove it but his community objected. SHO at Baradari police station Amit Pandey said, “There is no conflict between the two communitiesnow.”