Odia Muslim in SC with a prayer: Allow Rath Yatra

NEW DELHI: An Odia Muslim has moved the Supreme Court with a fervent prayer — allow the world-famous Rath Yatra at Puri this year as discontinuance of the religious tradition would ritually mandate its stall-ing for next 12 years.
Hailing from Itamati in Nayagarh district of Odisha, Aftab Hossen sought modification of the SC’s June 18 order banning not only the Rath Yatra but also all religious and secular rituals associated with it.“There is anger all over Odisha. People are ready to self-abstain from the yatra if it can be conducted by sevayats for the purpose of continuity in observance of the Jagannath culture and rituals associated with the religious tradition,” he said.
In the long tradition of noted Muslim devotees of Jagannath, most noted being 17th century poet Salabega, Hossen through advocates P K Mohapatra and Harprasad Sahu said that if for any reason there is a break in the annual Rath Yatra, “the same cannot be performed for next 12 years. So restraining the Rath Yatra this year would mean stopping it for the next 12 years, which will seriously harm Jagannath culture.”
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If the SC passed the order stalling the yatra on a PIL filed by Bhubaneswar-based NGO Odisha Vikas Prashad, another NGO Jagannath Sanskritu Jana Jagarana Manch moved the SC through advocate H N Rath giving details of 1,304 Covid-free persons available with the temple who could be asked to conduct the yatra without involving devotees. Many other individuals and NGOs have also moved the SC seeking permission for the yatra.