Curfews keep India festival quiet

Security forces were taking no chances

Celebrations marking India's Hindu spring festival on Friday were subdued as security forces turned out in force to prevent a repeat of recent religious bloodshed.

Many Muslims still live in fear

Curfews were clamped on large parts of Ahmedabad and Baroda, the two largest cities in Gujarat state, where at least 700 people died in communal rioting last month.

India's top leaders also publicly declined to celebrate the Holi festival, traditionally one of the country's most exuberant religious holidays.

Extra precautions were taken in areas of Gujarat with predominantly Muslim populations since Friday is the Islamic day of prayer.

Little violence was reported, but security officials said they were taking no chances after anonymous leaflets were reportedly circulated calling for attacks on Muslims.

Troops deployed

Gujarat's Chief Minister Narendra Modi appealed for restrained celebrations in the wake of the recent violence.

Celebrations were muted this year

President KR Narayanan also issued a statement calling for peace between the faiths.

Thousands of army and paramilitary soldiers are deployed around Gujarat to keep the peace.

Normal life has yet to return to the state, where sporadic violence has continued ever since the mass rioting was brought under control earlier this month.

On Thursday, rampaging mobs burnt down a mosque, several houses and restaurants on the outskirts of Ahmedabad.

Quiet day

In Delhi, the crowds that usually gather around the houses of the country's leaders on Holi failed to materialise.

The Indian president said he would not be receiving any visitors on Friday.

Some were determined to enjoy the holiday

And according to the Associated Press news agency, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was spending the day quietly in a northern hill resort.

Undeterred by the religious tensions, some revellers went ahead with traditional celebrations, smearing each other with brightly coloured powder.

And across north India, where the festival is most popular, ordinary citizens visited relatives and gave each other sweets.

Holi marks the beginning of the summer harvest.

Earlier this week, the Shia Muslim ceremony of Ashura passed off peacefully after the community voluntarily scaled down the traditional procession.