By Syed Ilyas Basha
We have been through some controversies and disputes about the ownership of some historical Mosques, Mughal-era monuments in our country. The Apex Court Judgment on Babari Masjid/Ram Janmabhumi land dispute, construction of the Ram Temple and its inauguration last month has further highlighted the topic. This sentiment creates feeling of divisiveness and religious tension in the country. Some of these issues are enumerated below for the information of all.
The Gyanwapi Masjid adjacent to Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi is now a major case. It has been pending for 32 years in the Allahabad High Court. The High Court on Tuesday heard both the Hindu and Muslim sides on the Gyanvapi mosque committee’s appeal challenging the Varanasi district court order allowing Hindu prayers in a cellar of the mosque.
Last week, the same court allowed for a scientific survey to be carried out at the site of Shahi Idgah mosque in Mathura to determine if it was built over a Hindu temple. A law from 1991 protects all religious sites in the way they existed on the day India became an independent country in 1947. The legislation had helped to keep the two court cases suspended and simmering for decades, but the high court’s ruling means the statute is no longer an impediment in the land title dispute. After achieving some success in these two cases several right-wing Hindu groups have sprung into action and are making their intentions of freeing several temples by demolishing existing Mosques.
Ajmer Sharif Dargah, Rajasthan: A local Hindu right-wing group claims it was temple for the Hindu deity Lord Shiva.
The BJP MP Mr. Anantkumar Hegde has been calling for demolition of the Mosque in Bhatkal. (in Karnataka)
The following Mosques were demolished by authorities in various places under some pretext.
Jamia Masjid, Bangalore: In October 2017, in a bid to decrease traffic congestion in the locality, members of the Shia Community gave their nod to demolish a compound wall of the Jamia Masjid in addition to land donation to ease the much-discussed situation in Bengaluru. “We have decided to donate over 1,000 sq ft of land for road widening, and also around 4,000 sq ft from the graveyard area. The sole purpose behind this is the convenience of city dwellers. We all know how dangerous the traffic gets, and to ease the traffic, we have taken this step,” the committee president Mir Ali had told ANI at that time.
Barabanki Mosque: At the peak of the pandemic in 2021, the Masjid Garib Nawaz Al Maroof was demolished by the Barabanki district administration in Uttar Pradesh on the grounds of it being an ‘illegal structure’. “The action was taken as per court order. There was no mosque. It was an illegal structure where anti-social elements were staying,” Dr Adarsh Singh, the Barabanki District Magistrate had said on being asked about the demolition. Eight members of the mosque committee were charged for ‘fraudulently registering’ the mosque with the Waqf Board.
Muzaffarnagar Mosque: In November 2022, a 300-year-old mosque was razed to the ground in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar because it blocked the 709 AD Panipat-Khatima highway in Sherpur. The Muzaffarnagar SDM had claimed that the razing was carried out to expand the highway and the locals had failed to move the structure by the stipulated period.
Shahi Masjid, Prayagraj: In January 2023, Shahi Masjid, a 16th-century mosque situated on GT Road in Uttar Pradesh‘s Saidabad, Prayagraj, was demolished by the authorities for the widening of the highway. The Mosque’s Imam, Md. Babul Hussain, said that the matter was listed in the lower court for January 16, 2023, but was razed down before it could reach the court. It was listed in the lower court after the Allahabad High Court had dismissed the petition to stay the proposal for the demolition.
Masjid Akhuandji, Mehrauli, New Delhi & Madrasa Behrul Uloom were razed by DDA on January 30, 2024 amid an encroachment drive. The Delhi High Court directed the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to maintain the status quo on the land where a centuries-old mosque, madrasa and a graveyard existed earlier. The court’s direction came on Monday and the matter is now sub-judice. The Masjid Committee has claimed that they did not receive any notice before. Some locals have accused the DDA of scrapping the rubble and remains of the shrine in an order to remove evidence of the anti-encroachment drive.
SUB-JUDICE: The following are under judicial process at present:
1.Qutb Minar, New Delhi: A lawsuit had been filed in a Delhi court claiming that the monument was built after demolishing a number of Hindu and Jain temples.
2.Taj Mahal, Agra: While not a mosque-temple dispute, India’s most well-known monument is often claimed to have Hindu roots, with some groups petitioning the authorities to issue a “correction” in relation to the monument’s history. –With assistance from Swati Gupta. The Taj Mahal is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra. This UNESCO-listed Taj Mahal was excluded from an official government tourism brochure in 2017 prompting angry protests by the public,
3.Jamia Masjid, Karnataka: Several Hindu fringe groups claim the mosque in Mandya district was built on the ruins of a temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman. Protests led to restrictions on gatherings
4.Jumma Masjid, Maharashtra: The mosque in a small district of Jalgaon went without Friday prayers briefly when a local executive order temporarily barred entry to Muslim devotees after a Hindu-group claimed the location originally housed a Hindu temple
5.Jama Masjid, Uttar Pradesh: Believed to be one of the oldest and largest mosques in the country, Hindu groups claim it was a fort built by a Hindu king and that a temple for Lord Shiva existed there
6. Sunehri Bagh Masjid: The entire episode surrounding the proposed demolition of 150 years old Sunehri Bagh Masjid has drawn public ire over the last couple of weeks. After a publicly issued New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) notice, which sought public opinion on the proposed demolition of the Grade III Heritage building, hundreds of people responded to oppose it. The 150-year-old mosque, which is located on a roundabout of Sunehri Bagh Road, Motilal Nehru Marg, and Kamraj Marg, has been marked for causing traffic problems in the area. This has led to the proposal being connected to other instances where mosques were razed or proposed to be demolished under the pretext of anti-encroachment drives.. Outlook looks at a few other instances where mosques were demolished or proposed to be demolished owing to the historically and religiously significant structures being considered as roadblocks
7.Tombs at the Zafar Mahal palace in New Delhi WERE destroyed by the Vandals. This is a 18th century monument built by the once powerful Mughal empire. As reported by CNN on 23rd December, 2023, this is among more than 170 heritage sites in Delhi that are protected by the government-run Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
ORGANIZER, the mouthpiece of RSS on 17-Mar-2021 carried a report stating that Delhi was founded by Maharaja Anangpal-II and not by the Mughals. National Monuments Authority organized a seminar where scholars drawn from various top educational institutions of the country discussed ‘the real history’ of Delhi. Delhi has been the center of ruling power since ancient times for many rulers and dynasties. The city finds its reference in many ancient and medieval texts which talk about the glory and strength of rulers who had their seats of power here once upon a time. Ancient texts specify a location on the bank of the Yamuna, where Indra had performed worship to please Bhagwan Vishnu. This was done in the city of Delhi. The city’s sacred significance was enhanced during the Mahabharat era by the Pandavas, who made this city their new capital. Indraprastha remained a pre-eminent centre on the Uttarapath since the Mauryan period, after which the settlement shifted from the bank of river Yamuna to the southern part near the Aravalli’s where the city named Yoginipura came into existence in 10th century CE by the Tomar dynasty. Maharaja Anangpal Tomar-II (between 1052 to 1060 CE) laid down the foundation of the city of Dhillika or Dhilli, which finds its mention in the Bijolia, Sarban and other Sanskrit inscriptions. In fact, the media reports suggest there are several other Muslim monuments that are under similar disputes in various states in the country. While deliberations and dialogues were held many a times between top clergymen, politicians and leaders in the past about the then burning Ayodhya issue, no progress was achieved and the matter was thus left to the Judiciary.
In the present day context, Shri Govind Dev Giri Maharaj ji, the treasurer of ‘Shr Ram Janmabhoomi Tirtha Kshetra’ on Sunday the 4th February, 2024 has suggested that we shall forget about all other things if we are handed over these two temples of Kashi and Mathura peacefully with love. Maharaj also urged the Muslim community to support this demand for a peaceful solution. He said that the issue is only about removing signs of the attacks and it should not be considered as a problem between the two communities. He was speaking at a press conference in Alandi on the outskirts of Pune where various religious programmes are being held between Feb 4 and 11 as part of his 75th birthday celebrations. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Sri Sri Ravishankar, among the others, are expected to attend these programmes. “We do not even desire to look at the others if these three temples are freed because we have to live in the future and not in the past. The country’s future should be good, hence if we get the other two temples (Kashi and Mathura) peacefully, with love, we will forget about all other things,” he said.
In view of this suggestion, proposal by an important and respected personality, it is looks worthwhile, to honor this positive signal. The authorities at Personal Law Board, Jamiatul Ulama, Jamate Islami Hind, Janab Asaduddin Owaisi, etc may kindly look into matter, explore the possibility of a serious dialogue in confidence to enable the country, community prosper and progress. Let the negativity vanish and positivity prevail.
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Syed Ilyas Basha can be reached at Email: sdilyashyd@yahoo.com
I remember Ihad titled the article “INDIA or BHARAT – PEACE ALONE CAN ENSURE PROGRESS”. Anyway, it is time for elders of Muslims of our country like Heads of MUSLIM PERSONAL LAW BOARD, JAMEATUL ULEMA, JAMATE ISLAMI, Janab Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi saheb to urgently explore a dialogue on the basis of a proposal of honorable Treasurer of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya.
LET US ACT TO SAVE THE COUNTRY AND COMMUNITY.