The conversation continues in the newsroom.
"Tomorrow is Eid," says one of the online editors. We stare at her in confusion. It was Eid in October, we say. With a justifiable look of disdain for our ignorance, she explains that no, that was Eid ul-Fitr, the end of Ramadan. Tomorrow is Eid ul-Adha, the Muslim festival of slaughter and sacrifice. We've heard nothing about it.
Usually at this time of year, the streets of the Muslim area of Jama Masjiid are full of goats and cows, painted in vibrant colours, dressed in gold and silk, being fed almonds and sweetmeats, dressed and ready for a glorious public death. They would be sold, sometimes for hundreds of thousands of rupees. In remembrance of Abraham's willingness to slay his son before God, they would be taken to mosques or private homes to be slaughtered and cooked. Then the meat would be shared with the poor.
This year, however, fear hangs in the Delhi air along with the dust and mist. Many think that enough bloodletting has already happened. And for those willing to stretch the analogy to fit their agenda, an unfortunate parallel can be made. For many see, in both instances, the butcher's knife in Islamic hands.
As a result, at this year's Eid ul-Adha, Muslims are tiptoeing where they should be dancing. Clerics have pleaded with Muslims to mute their feasting and celebration in respect for the Mumbai dead. And with the memory of fresh blood in India's head, there is a fear that as Eid descends, blood will be shed on the streets as well as the slaughterhouses. Bollywood stars have declared that they will not mark Eid with celebration, and ordinary people and Muslim groups have made their own pledges. But goats will still be sold, and merriment will still take place. Since, for many Muslims, this fear of reprisal is nothing new.
Since Partition - the largest single migration of a people in history - Hindus have traditionally found their home in India, and Muslims in Pakistan. Most sectarian conflicts have been characterised by a Hindu-Muslim element. Muslims in India have long felt the need to fight for civil rights that they feel are denied them. Now, as India accuses Pakistan of harbouring Muslim terrorists, fears are as sharp as they ever were.
During the day, in the hustle and bustle of Connaught Place, you might be forgiven for thinking that Muslims don't really exist in this city. But in the early mornings, the call to prayer rings out across old Delhi. In the evenings, crowds jostle in Jama Masjiid, weaving in and out of market stalls selling copies of the Koran and wearing the Muslim veil or kufie. They cook chicken and mutton in huge clay pots, and the occasional non-Muslim will sneak in for a kebab, knowing that when it's time for meat, no one does as well as a Muslim.
In fact, there are more Muslims in India today than there are in Pakistan. Yet they represent one of the most disaffected minorities in India. Even the Dalits - the 'untouchables,' the lowest caste in India, who still in some parts of the country will not even be glanced at by another Indian - have more jobs and higher wages on average than Indian Muslims. Amongst Dalit men, there is a 47% unemployment rate, thanks in part to laws set in place which reserve a certain quota of jobs for people of their caste. Yet 52% of Muslim men are unemployed in India, with no laws to protect them. Over half of Muslim men over the age of 46 cannot read. Though Muslims represent 11% of India's population, they make up 40% of its incarcerated criminals.
Many of India's Muslims, themselves angry and alienated, find themselves in a situation where they cannot freely celebrate their own festival. To the least optimistic, they represent a tinderbox waiting for the first spark.
So perhaps, given the hush around this year's Eid ul-Adha, it is not surprising that we had no idea what day it was today. When dates are dictated by the moon and the Muslim calendar, it leaves us heathen completely baffled. But this year is particularly auspicious. Tonight in Jama Masjiid, as people adorn their goats for their last night on the town, the silent alarm bells are ringing.
