Friday, March 29, 2024
 
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Let every day be Friday!




By K B Jandial



Jumuah, as our Muslim brethren usually call it for Friday, is indeed, a very important day of the week for their prayers. Jumuah Prayers are a congregational prayer led by an Imam in a mosque that every Muslim is ordained to offer. These prayers include the Khutba that is specially prayed on Friday as preaching in the Islamic tradition. In the Holy Quran and the Hadiths it is mentioned that Jumuah is an important day of the week and the one who offers prayer on the day and also performs good deeds is rewarded by the Almighty and all his sins are forgiven.

The Prophet Mohammed has mentioned in his Hadiths that offering five times prayer a day and also Friday Prayer results in absolving sins. It is also mentioned that the best day when the sun has risen is Friday and also on that day Adam had been created by the Almighty. It is so believed that the Day of Judgment would be Friday and so people should be aware and regret their sins and turn towards the Almighty with due respect and compliance. The Holy Quran says that “surely, prayer restrains from indecency and evil” (chapter 29 verse 45).

Since it is enjoined upon all Muslims to gather in the nearby mosque for Jumuah prayer, it is obvious that there will be increased movement of vehicles towards the mosques at the appointed hour on Friday that sometimes create traffic congestion for a brief period.
Jammu traffic police has recently come into full gear to ensure that on Friday there is no traffic hold-ups on the roads that lead to mosques. Till the prayers are over, the men in blue whistle away every vehicle that attempts to park on road side. For some, whistling is a sort of “music on the road” that is somewhat soothing to the ears as compared to the honking horns on congested roads but nonetheless it has an authoritative and “commanding” signal to every erring driver. The outsourced pick-up crane is busy in lifting the vehicles parked unauthorised on the road side and taken to Gulshan ground where it is released not before charging the erring driver Rs. 750 some exceptions notwithstanding. This action may be regular but its visibility is more conspicuous on Friday or on VVIP visits as they can’t afford to allow a potential “boom” on the road side unattended.


Those who become “victims” of this well intentioned “keep the road clear” campaign know the agony they undergo in such “catastrophe” on finding their cars missing. It is an experience that comes only after undergoing the ordeal. But that would be entirely a self-centric attitude of a “violator” to blame others for his own fault. Why did one park his car on a non- designated parking place? But then they pose a counter question -where and how many are the designated parking sites in the city, paid or otherwise, where people can safely park their cars. It is a larger issue.

As the “victims” venture to find answers to their culpability that they continued to repeat it many times a day despite having the brush with the law once, the issue becomes bigger and bigger bringing into fore involvement of other organisations. Why do the people repeat this offence everyday despite being respectable law abiding residents?

Thanks to uninterrupted brazen violations of land use, master plan and building norms, posh residential localities in Jammu have become commercial hubs. Mushrooming of unauthorised coaching centres in residential areas has compounded the problem. This has thrown up insurmountable challenge to the Municipal Corporations, Local Bodies and Development Authorities which are unequal to the task. The unplanned urbanisation in the extended area will also face similar problems in not very distant future.

While the commercialisation has hugely benefited the owners due to skyrocketing land prices, but it has made the living extremely unpalatable. Those residing amidst the commercial “hell”, oftenly pick up fights with such “violators” on daily basis as some of them park their bikes, car & SUVs in front of their gates. The violators had to be located in the adjoining commercial establishments amidst altercations, to enter their cars or move out of their residential premises. It is only hoped that for some of these residents, the “golden hour” is not wasted in the event of any medical emergency.
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On every Friday, the roads which lead to the nearby mosque in Gandhinagar locality is cleared of all traffic obstructions and the roadside parking prohibited till 3 p.m. It is enviably tidy and orderly scene of the road. The entry and exit of vehicles of the residents from their residences become very smooth. The men in blue, who very efficiently patrol the identified roads, usually threaten to lift even the residents’ vehicles if parked in front of their gates. The reason given is that their senior police and civil officers would be passing through the road and they need uninterrupted passage for a pious duty.

With malice to none, it does strike many on the auspicious Friday that if Jumuah prayers can keep roads neat and orderly then why not make every day a Friday. If motivation for traffic clearance is dominated by visits of the VIPs performing scared obligations then why not think of other religions and their pious days in the week. One can find VIPs in almost all religions. Jammu has predominated population of Hindus with substantial presence of Sikhs and some of Christians. After all, it is a secular state and sensitivities of all religions be respected in equal measure.

For Hindus, each day of a week is dedicated to a particular god in the Hindu scripture. Starting with Sunday it is dedicated to Lord Surya or Suryanarayana. Red is the colour of the day and red flowers are offered to Sun God. Monday is dedicated to Lord Shiva and the devotees observing fast do visit temples in large numbers for puja and offer water and milk with flowers to Holy Shivlingum. Tuesday is dedicated to Lord Hanuman, Lord Ganesha, Goddess Durga, and Goddess Kali and the devotees visit temples and offer prayers.


Wednesday is dedicated to Lord Vithal, an incarnation of Krishna. Green colour leaves, especially the Tulsi leaves, are used in Puja. Thursday is dedicated to God Vishnu and Brihaspati. People visit Hanuman Temple on Thursday. Friday is dedicated to Goddess Santoshi Mata (an incarnation of Shakti). Saturday is dedicated to Lord Shani, one of the Navagraha, and devotees throng Shani temples.

Sikh brethren visit holy Gurdwaras throughout the week but in large number on Sunday morning.
Sunday being the first day of the week is very important for Christian brethren as well and they visit Church on this day. It is said that there are at least 21 reasons in the New Testament for Christians to visit Churches on Sunday. These include rising of Lord Jesus on the first day of the week (Sunday). All the six appearances of Lord Jesus happened on two Sundays and Lord Jesus was declared the Son of God and also crowned King on Sunday. The sign that Lord Jesus was glorified was given on Sunday.


There is no harm if the men in blue consider every day a Friday and keep the roads tidy, neat and free from traffic congestion on all days of the week with similar zeal? Give it a thought!




(The writer is former Secretary information, health, transport, CAPD departments and a member of Public Service Commission,feedback: [email protected])




(Opinions expressed in write-ups/articles/Letters are the sole responsibility of the authors and they may not represent the scoopnews.in)


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