Meerut, India – The mood is barely festive as a group of Muslim men huddle inside a small mosque to discuss the arrangements for Eid al-Adha prayers in Meerut district of India’s Uttar Pradesh state.Ceiling fans hum above to beat the brutal north Indian heat as nearly 50 worshippers listen to the members of the mosque management committee in Maliyana village, about 80km (50 miles) from New Delhi, the national capital.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listThe conversation is not about sacrificial animals or charity, but a more pressing issue before them: roads, barricades, police permissions, and where and how exactly they would offer the Eid prayers on Thursday.“Please don’t gather outside the mosque gates,” instructs a member. “If the mosque fills up, wait for the next prayer shift. Avoid arguments. Avoid videos. Don’t respond to provocations.”Men in the audience silently nod. Some scroll through WhatsApp groups where local police advisories have already begun circulating, urging Muslims to refrain from public prayers. Others in the audience exchange worried glances.Maliyana has a history. In May 1987, 72 Muslims were massacred here by a mob of Hindu locals and personnel belonging to the state government’s Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC). After 36 years of hearings, a district court in 2023 acquitted dozens of the accused over insufficient evidence.But the concerns that prompted the mosque committee and worshippers there …
