* Muslims should not be allowed entry. Make those insisting on entry taste cow urine or panchgavya (a concoction made of five cow products: milk, ghee, curd, urine and dung). It will ensure only Hindus enter because others don’t have faith (in cow and Hinduism).
* If at all Muslims want entry they are welcome only when accompanied by their female family members.
* All garbas should begin with singing of Vande Mataram. Participants clad in jeans and t-shirts should not be allowed entry.
These were among the recommendations made at a meeting called in Bhopal on Monday by BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma, Hindu Utsav Samiti and representatives of religions other than Islam to finalise their stand on the allowing entry to non-Hindus in garba venues during the Navratri festival.
Called in the backdrop of the demand to keep Muslims off garba venues, a view articulated by BJP MLAs Usha Thakur and Rameshwar Sharma, the meeting decided to submit a memorandum to the Bhopal collector on Tuesday to instruct garba organisers to insist on ID cards and make singing of Vande Mataram compulsory. The local administration in Indore and Ujjain has already made ID cards compulsory at garba venues.
Chandrashekhar Tiwari of Sanskriti Bachao Manch, who suggested the ‘panchgavya’ test, told The Indian Express that singing Vande Mataram will separate Hindus from Muslims. “The Muslim clergy should issue a fatwa asking Muslims to keep away from garba venues.’’
Rameshwar Sharma, MLA from Huzur constituency in Bhopal, suggested that Muslims should be accompanied by female family members. “It will ensure they conduct themselves well and not eye Hindu girls,’’ he said adding, “We don’t disturb them when they offer namaz. Garba is our ibadat it should be left to Hindus.’’
Hindu Utsav Samiti chief Narayan Singh Kushwah said Muslims should be prohibited from garba venues. With Sharma as one of the founding members, the Samiti has members from all right-wing organisations and the BJP. The samiti celebrates Hindu festivals and organises religious events and kavi sammelans in the capital. “Do we insist on going to the Haj,’’ he asked.
Durgesh Keswani of Sindhu Sena, which has campaigned in the past against “too much freedom to Sindhi girls’’, said only those wearing traditional dresses should be allowed entry. The meeting was also attended by former RSS functionary Shashibhai Sheth and representatives of Buddhism, Sikh and Jain sects.