Residents of Alipur village in Gauribidanur taluk of Chikkaballapur staged a protest on Sunday, March 1, and called for three days of mourning to condemn the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The protest is being organised under the leadership of the Anjuman e Jafaria Committee. Located about 70 km from Bengaluru, Alipur has a population of nearly 25,000, of whom an estimated 90% are Shia Muslims. The remaining residents include around 100 Hindu families.
Khamenei died following a major attack allegedly carried out by Israel and the United States. The development was confirmed early on Sunday. The news has had an impact on residents of Alipur, many of whom share longstanding religious, cultural and educational ties with Iran.
Chikkaballapur Superintendent of Police Kushal Chouksey visited Alipur on Sunday and held discussions with village elders and members of the Anjuman e Jafaria Committee.
“We held a meeting with the Anjuman e Jafaria Committee members. They have planned a prayer meeting on Sunday afternoon, followed by a procession in which around 3,000 people are expected to participate, protesting the death of Khamenei,” Mr. Chouksey said.
He added that adequate police personnel, along with senior officers, have been deployed in the village to maintain law and order during the mourning period and the proposed procession.
Several shops in Alipur remained voluntarily shut on Sunday. Members of the Shia Muslim community were seen dressed in black, holding black flags and gathering for prayers. Later, thousands took out a march, raising slogans, carrying posters of Khamenei and condemning what they described as his assassination. Many were seen in tears as they paid tribute to the Iranian leader.
Khamenei had visited Alipur in 1986 and added that a hospital has been built in Khamenei’s name in the village.
Many families in Alipur have direct connections with Iran, with some even having settled there for education and employment. Several youngsters from the village travel to Iran to pursue Islamic theological studies and, in recent years, have also enrolled in MBBS programmes there, citing comparatively affordable higher education.
The state government is making efforts to set up helplines to reach out to people stranded in countries affected by the conflict such as Iran, UAE, Kuwait and Israel.