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Janmashtami to be low-key affair in Bradford

Shyam Bhatia in London

A Hindu community leader in the racially troubled city of Bradford said weekend celebrations of Janmashtami, the birth anniversary of Krishna, would be scaled down to avoid intimidation from local Muslim gangs.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad trustee Hasmukh Shah said celebrations would also be toned down in cities like Oldham, Burnley and Manchester, where there have incidents of racial violence.

"There will be no rathyatra, it will be low-key," Shah told rediff.com

A pharmacist by profession, Shah witnessed the wrecking of his business premises by angry Muslim youths during the recent outbreak of racial violence in Bradford.

"Our community is under threat. There is a clear case of intimidation in places like Oldham, Blackburn and Bolton," he said.

Shah said the decision to maintain a low profile followed a seminar in Leicester, which was attended by 45 Hindu organisations. "We don't want to put our devotees in danger," he said.

Another community leader, Ashwin Mistry, said: "It is a shame, but the tension is there and people are nervous."

British Home Secretary David Blunkett, who visited Bradford on Wednesday, said in an interview: "I hope people will not feel afraid to celebrate, whether it's Krishna's birthday or Christmas."

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