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Guwahati, May 24 (PTI): With Eid excitement running low due to Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing lockdown, Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi appealed to the people not to come out for gatherings but offer namaz from their homes.
Wishing people on this auspicious occasion, Mukhi said that the festival of Eid-Ul-Fitr is for happiness and merrymaking, which is marked by the spirit of universal brotherhood.
He, however, appealed to all to celebrate the festival by staying in their homes and not making any religious gatherings.
Requesting the public to pray from their homes, Mukhi asked all to follow the safety guidelines issued by the government in view of the coronavirus pandemic.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal urged the people from Muslim community to follow social distancing norms and appealed to them to pray for mankind in this critical time.
Assam State Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind President and Lok Sabha member Badruddin Ajmal requested all to follow the government norms to contain the spread of Covid-19 and asked all to offer namaz from their homes.
He also urged people to pray for world peace and a corona free society.
The markets across the state remained dry with very few people visiting in the last few days on the backdrop of a huge spike in Covid-19 positive cases in recent times.
"We didn't go for shopping and distributed that amount to the poor people, who are suffering most in this lockdown period. Except the gathering, we are following other rituals of Eid," entrepreneur Atiqur Rahman Barbhuiya told PTI.
He said that every Muslim is bound by the directives of the government, adding that Islam permits to offer Eid namaz with four persons also, which means it can be done at home.
"Religion never obstructs in following government norms. We have instructed many people not to assemble at Masjids or one particular house for namaz," said Barbhuiya, who is also a political commentator.
He termed this year's Eid amidst lockdown as "blessing in disguise" as women, who usually don't perform namaz at Masjids, will be able to offer the special prayers with other male family members at home.
"I will offer my Eid namaz tomorrow with my daughter and son at home. Obviously it will be a subdued Eid, but we have followed 'Roja' and 'Fitra', which is giving donations to poor people," Barbhuiya said.