Maharashtra celebrates Kartik Ekadashi with grandeur. It marks the end of Chaturmasya, during which Lord Vishnu is believed to be asleep. However, while Jalgaon continued its 152-year-old tradition of celebrating the same, the city also faced communal tensions as two groups erupted in violence and pelted stones.
This violence is said to have occurred in Jalgaon’s Mehrun area, where the situation now seems to be under control. Local police have claimed that the violence between the two groups erupted over a small issue of verbal abuse which later evolved into a bigger issue.
However, the question here is why Maharashtra is facing such repeated attacks during Hindu festivals.
This particular year the state has faced multiple clashes be it Kartik Ekadashi, Diwali, or especially Ganesh Ustav.
There have been multiple incidents during this year’s Ganesh visarjan processions in Maharashtra, including Akola, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, and Bhiwandi.
Multiple incidents were recorded in Maharashtra’s Bhiwandi itself when an unidentified person broke into a workshop that made Ganesh idols and broke tens of lord’s idols. Similarly, during the Ganesh visarjan, stones were pelted in Bhiwandi near the Hindustani Mosque which broke the Ganesh idol, after which the Ganesh mandal refused to carry forward with the visarjan.
Akola faced the same situation where 60 people were detained by the police after stone pelting occurred during the Ganpati visarjan procession in the Nandipet area.
Apart from Ganesh Ustav, there have been incidents where some objected to Diwali lights which led to some tension in the residential society of Navi Mumbai.
The question is why such incidents repeatedly happen, specifically during Hindu Festivals, and is there a sinister ploy behind it?