When do a Hindu priest and Muslim cleric agree? Over not cutting cake on New Years

Rarely do Hindu and Muslim leaders agree. This time, Deoband in Uttar Pradesh has thrown up a surprise as Muslim clerics from the Darul Uloom and a pandit from the same city have expressed concern over celebrating New Year on January 1.

Cutting cake and rejoicing is part of celebrating New Year. However, Maulana Mufti Tariq Quasmi has said the practice of cutting cakes is unIslamic. "This is not legitimate in Islam," he said.

Quasmi feels Muslims and those practising should stay away from such practices and abide by the practices of Islam.

"Our new year begins in the month of Moharram. We have no objection to people of other religion following such practices but Muslims, especially the youth, should avoid such things," added Quasmi.

Recently, the Darul Ulum in Deoband had banned the use of smart phones in their campus. According to the clerics, smart phones were hindering studies and made students less attentive.

At a time when even a staunch Islamic country like Saudi Arabia is making radical changes in society, it's surprising what the clerics in Deoband are talking about.

Surprisingly, Quasmi's observations and suggestions have also been seconded by Hindu priests in the same area in Uttar Pradesh.

"According to Hindu shastras, our new year begins on the first day of Navaratri in the Chaitra month. Our new Nav Vikram Savant (new year) begins on that day and this is also mentioned in the government records", Pandit Satendra Sharma of the Ma Shri Tripur Bala Sundari Mandir Seva Trust of Deoband said.

"Our youths should not follow English customs blindly. They should have basic knowledge of their religion," added Sharma.