Amidst the din over azaan and Hanuman chalisa, residents of Chandra Layout set an example by observing Maramma Devi Oora Habba peacefully on Tuesday.
While the procession reached Chandra Layout masjid, the committee members came out to greet the procession and offered snacks and cool drinks. The members also participated and walked with the procession. The celebrations also saw members of both communities greeting each other and vowing to maintain communal harmony in the area, Manoj Hovale, police inspector, Chandra Layout said.
Maramma is a community festival celebrated every year. But for the last two years, it was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, this time, the community decided to celebrate the festival and the local police played a vital role to get both the communities together to celebrate during this sensitive time, Sanjeev Patil, DCP, west division, said .
As per the plan, the police conveyed a series of meetings with members of both communities and consented to celebrate the community programme to maintain harmony. “The plan worked as the celebrations went on peacefully without a single untoward incident. The policemen who were part of the security were tensed and spent sleepless nights ahead of the procession, but heaved a sigh of relief in the end,” said an officer.
