AHMEDABAD, March 29: An indefinite curfew was imposed in parts of Ahmedabad and soldiers patrolled the streets on Friday to prevent communal clashes during the Holi festival.

A city police official said a curfew was imposed in 10 areas of the city and restrictions had been placed on festivities in other areas.

“Half of Ahmedabad has been placed under curfew as a preventive measure,” the police official said.

Army and Border Security Force troops were on patrol in parts of the city and Holi celebrations were generally low-key as people stayed at home, he said.

Holi marks the beginning of the harvesting of the summer crop. The usually high-spirited festival is marked by the throwing of coloured water and powder and singing and dancing.

Parts of Ahmedabad and Gujarat state have been under curfew since the end of last month, when a train carrying people from Ayodhya was burned at Gujarat’s Godhra town.

Ahmedabad police said they were on guard to prevent festival revellers stoking religious passions. Authorities are also concerned about pamphlets urging Hindus to attack Muslims and their property.

A state police official said soldiers were also deployed in the tribal Bodeli region of the state, south of Ahmedabad, where the Holi festival is celebrated with particular fervour.

Indian President K.R. Narayanan joined a host of national leaders who have said they would not celebrate Holi as they were pained by the bloodshed in Gujarat.

“At this moment when communal disturbances are taking place in our country, it is important that we summon our traditional spirit of tolerance...to establish peace and harmony among our people,” Narayanan said in a statement on Thursday.

Narayanan would not receive visitors on Friday, it said.

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Home Minister L.K. Advani and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi have all said they would not celebrate Holi because of the Gujarat tragedy.—Reuters