'Dargah site was a temple': Claim in Gujarat following post-Babri verdict demands in UP

By Rajiv Shah*. Dated: 1/21/2022 1:51:33 PM

“This is not an isolated incident where a dargah or a mosque has been claimed to be a place of worship of Hindu deities”, the report asserts, calling it part of a “disturbing trend” widely prevalent in Gujarat even before the Babri was allowed to be replaced by Ram Temple.

Will Gujarat also see demands to replace mosques and dargahs with Hindu temples? It would seem so, if a new fact-finding team conclusion is any indication. Apprehending the “danger” of communal conflagration, it has cited the claim on a 15th century dargah was originally a Hindu temple – allegedly quite on line with what has been happening in UP following the Supreme Court verdict on Babri Mosque.
The matter, the team says, came to light in October 2021, when a group of people entered the Roza Rozi dargah, an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) site situated in Sojali village along the banks of Vatrak river, about five kilometres from Mehmdabad town in Kheda district, and 40 km from Ahmedabad. A small temple-like structure, “allowed” to be built in 2014 inside the dargah compound, is said to be the reason behind the wild claim.
The group played music on loudspeaker, placed a photo of a Hindu Goddess (Matahji) inside the dargah and worshipped it – all of it captured in a video and circulated widely on social media, attracting outrage from the Muslim community, said the report prepared by the fact-finding team consisting of Dr Ajaz Shaikh, Hozefa Ujjaini, Samina Malek, Khairunnisha Pathan, Latif Malek and Manish Manjulaben.
“This is not an isolated incident where a dargah or a mosque has been claimed to be a place of worship of Hindu deities”, the report asserts, calling it part of a “disturbing trend” widely prevalent in Gujarat even before the Babri was allowed to be replaced by Ram Temple.
Citing incidents of “vandalization and destruction” of non-Hindu heritage, even as “undermining” the syncretic tradition prevailing in the State, the report says, in Ahmedabad, during the 2002 riots, the mazaar of the famous poet, Wali Gujarati or Wali Dakhani, was razed, and the city authorities built a road on the top of it.
Then, in 2006, Vadodara city faced communal flare-up after razing of the ancient 14th century dargah of Sayed Chisti Rashiuddin, a medieval Sufi saint. And in 2019, in Dholka, “anti-social elements” spread the rumour that Tanka Masjid, situated in Dholka, about 100 km from Ahmedabad, was earlier a temple. The narrative led to communal frenzy in the area.
The Dholka monument, according to the report, was also targeted through a Twitter hashtag #ReclaimTemple, where a post claimed that the Tanka Masjid of Dholka is a Hindu temple. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad submitted a memorandum that the site previously was a Bhim kitchen and Pandavas’ school. Following civil society intervention, police provided protection to the masjid.
The report quotes Gujarati writer Saroop Dhruv, who has extensively written on different archaeological monuments, to point out that the Roza Rozi monument was built in the era of Sultan Mahmud Begada, a follower of Sufi saints. “Begda’s views are reflected in the art and structure of the established architectural sites during his rule. Roza Rozi is one such example”, it says.
“The site reflects the rich composite culture in India where Hindus and Muslims both come to pray and perform rituals according to their belief”, the report notes, giving details Rozi Roza: “During the reign of Begada, Hazrat Mubarak Saiyyad was a minister and his son Hazrat Pir Minar Saiyyad built the Roza as a memorial to his father. The Roza is also the resting place of Pir Minar Saiyyad and other members of the family. It is decorated with domes, arches, columns, and finely carved stone grills.”
It continues, “A little ahead on the opposite side is Rozi, which houses the memorials of the wives and other women of the family. The Rozi is a simpler structure in brick with some work on the inside of the domes. The original structure had two minarets of which one is still standing. One can see some work on the minaret.”
According to the report, in the occasion of Navratri, on Maha Ashtami (Atham of Navratri) October 13, 2021, a group of people, including women, adolescent girls and boys entered the gate of the Roza Rozi dargah under the pretext of offering puja in the small temple which came up in 2014 inside the compound of the dargah.
The land of the dargah site is very huge, and people with vested interests have an eye on the land for economic benefits
The mob, after entering the compound of the dargah, instead of going towards the temple, which is situated on the back side of the dargah in the same compound, entered the dargah. It danced throughout the procession, stopped in front of the dargah and played music on DJ set.
Meanwhile, the report says, “Some people from the mob entered the dargah and placed a photo of Hindu Goddess Khodiyar and performed aarti and sprinkled the gulaal and lit a lamp (diya). The video of the whole incident was recorded and it went viral on the social media.”

Different groups, political parties and Muslim leaders raised the issue and submitted memorandum to the collector and the superintendent of police to take action against it. Officials, including the collector, visited the site. The police uninstalled the Goddess’ photo the next day and ensured cleaning up of gulaal in the dargah. Protection was given to the site.
Pointing out that the temple-like structure, which came up in 2014 inside the compound of the dargah, is dedicated to Goddess Khodiyaar, the report says, ever since the locals have been “claiming that the idol of the Goddess came up mystically at the site of the temple.”
Claiming that this marked the origin of the dispute and narrative, which led to stating that Roza Rozi was originally a temple, the report says, “Puja began being offered in the small temple on various occasions. Meanwhile, a separate entrance was allocated to access temple in the compound. Devotees wanting to access the temple offered puja began using this entrance.”
However, on the day of the incident, the mob entered the compound from another gate of the monument, and according to the caretaker (mujavar), he allowed them to enter in as he thought they were going to offer puja in the temple. The mob stopped in front of the dargah, played DJ and danced. Amongst them, one person went inside the dargah and performed puja after placing Goddess’ photo.
A Darbar (Rajput)-dominated village, Sojali has a population of 3,000, including 12 Muslim families and the three families of caretakers of the dargah. Following an earlier communal tension, a few Muslims left the village and settled in Mehmdabad town. However, they often come to the village to take care of their land.
The fact-finding team, following interview with the caretaker and villagers observes, “It appears that the incident that took place on October 13, 2021 was planned and provoked by the supremacist groups to disturb peace… It seems that the incident was part of a larger conspiracy by supremacist groups.”
Pointing to the presence of BJP MLA Arjun Singh in a programme prior to the incident, the report says, while may not be “direct evidence” of he behind the provocation, but the “coincidence can’t be dismissed entirely.”
The small temple came up in 2014, and there is “no ancient evidence” of presence of any Hindu temple in writing in any literature. “The land of the site is very huge and people with vested interests have an eye on the land for economic benefits. The communal dispute could be a smokescreen to capture the land”, it underlines.
Also, “Muslims have their own lands in the village. Supremacist groups are taking advantage of economic conditions of local villagers. They want Muslims completely washed out from the village and capture their property.”
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Page 4 second deck
Rejection of tableaux: Why's Centre so uncomfortable with opposition-ruled States?


Sree Narayana Guru

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*
“Why shouldn't every State get an opportunity to display things it wants to portray at the Rajpath. This so-called selection process must be done away with. If we want to celebrate our Republic Day, then the focus must be more on people's programmes and aspirations, and less on the military might.”

The Republic Day celebrations on January 26 will not have State tableaux from Tamilnadu, Kerala, West Bengal as well as Delhi. There might be possibility that some other States too would get the rejection slip.
Kerala had sent its tableau on Sree Narayana Guru, one of the iconic figures of the State, who fought against caste discrimination. West Bengal had proposed a tableau on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and other icons of the freedom movement, but the Central government was not very keen.
Tamil Nadu chief minister was disappointed, but said that the State's tableau will not only be exhibited at the Republic Day parade in Chennai but will be taken to various cities and districts of the State so that people understand Tamil Nadu's contribution to our freedom movement.
The question is: Why is the government so uncomfortable with the opposition-ruled States, and why should there be an 'expert' committee at all. Aren't States qualified enough to judge as to what could be the best to display.
Why shouldn't every State get an opportunity to display things it wants to portray at the Rajpath. This so-called selection process must be done away with. If we want to celebrate our Republic Day, then the focus must be more on people's programmes and aspirations, and less on the military might.
We all have an army and love it, but the Republic Day should do more with democratic values and cultural diversity of the country. It should be a festival to be celebrated by all. And Rajpath celebrations must reflect the cultural diversity of the country, including the role of various communities in building modern India.
The problem is that the ruling party wants to control even this national ceremony, which is cynical and disappointing. The agenda to dictate the States to send things as per the political ideology of the ruling party is unacceptable.
It should be left to the States to send their best things which encourage and strengthen the unity and integrity of the country. The Centre has no right to define as what should a State send and sit through an 'expert' panel to reject the State tableaux.
The Republic Day is our national festival, and we all should celebrate it in the true spirit of modern secular Constitution by encouraging diverse groups and ethnicity, both regional as well as linguistic, to portray their struggles and achievements to celebrate our diversity and republicanism.

*Human rights defender

 

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