Rajasthan: Hungama over circumcision

By Dr. M. Iqbal Siddiqui

There was an ambiance of festival in the village Shivnagri in Beawar region of Ajmer district in Rajasthan. About 40 boys, belonging to the Cheeta-Mehrat-Kathat clan were circumcised. Among them were Rahul and Akash, grand Children of Mangi Lal Kathat. He was happy and thanking Allah for granting him this opportunity.

But just after two days, police raided his house and arrested him and his wife Sakina under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 320 (inflicting severe injury) and 395-A (hurting religious feelings). Maulana Gheesu Khan who performed the khatna (circumcision), was also arrested from his village Shivnagri.

The Cheeta-Mehrat-Kathat, collectively called the Kathats, have their roots in the Chauhan dynasty. In 10th century AD, Anup and Anhal, sons of the Chauhan ruler Lakhan Singh ousted the ruling Gurjars from the area and established the Chauhan kingdom making ‘Chang’ their capital. In Anhal’s 24th generation, born Har Raj and Bal Raj who embraced Islam in 1393 AD.

Kathat had lived with their dual identify of Hindu and Muslim for centuries [Photo by Yogi Sikand, TCN]

The Muslim emperor Alauddeen Khilji honored Har Raj with the title of ‘Kaathaa’, means ‘The Strong’, due to his outstanding bravery. His descendents were called the Kathats. The descendents of Bal Raj, who were later called Rawats (or Barads), deviated from Islam and reverted to the religion of their forefathers after about 150 years. Due to the lack of education and ignorance most of the Kathats who decided to remain Muslims, didn’t practice Islamic traditions. But there were some practices of Islam that kept them Muslims for seven hundred years- burial of their deceased, eating halal meat and khatna (circumcision). Even today they have both Hindu and Muslim names in the same family. Therefore Mangi Lal was also having his name and his son Rajesh and grandsons Rahul and Akash, though all are Muslims.

Mangi Lal, for a long period kept himself away from Islam and portrayed himself as a Hindu. He also became district level office bearer of the VHP. When his wife died a few years ago, he prepared to bury her according to the custom of his clan. On this a conflict arose between him and his VHP friends, but he insisted on following the custom. On this point, he separated himself from the VHP and declared in a ceremony that now he is a Muslim and will remain Muslim for rest of his life. He remarried after some time with a Muslim woman Sakina. He was much worried now for his children’s Muslim Identity and wanted his grand sons to be circumcised. He discussed the matter with his son and daughter in law who agreed for the ceremony in the name of tradition. When the day of the Khatna Ceremony came, his son and his wife went to Jaipur for some work. Grand father took his grandsons with him to Shivnagri where the ceremony took place and circumcision performed.

Only after two days, his son Rajesh Kathat, working in Indian Navy at Mumbai, and brought up in a Hindu environment, lodged an FIR against his father, step mother and Maulana Gheesu Kahn who perfomed the khatna, alleging them of circumcising his children without his permission and ‘converting’ them to Islam.

According to Mangu Khan Kathat, the president of the Cheeta-Mehrat-Kathat Mahasabha, Mangi Lal’s second wife Sakina has brought her son Qamruddeen born of her previous husband, now the in-laws of Rajesh told him that his father would give away all of his property to his wife’s son hence he must act against him and this was high time. Thus, he said Rajesh lodged FIR against his father though the circumcision was done after his and his wife’s due consent.

The office bearers of the Cheeta-Mehrat-Kathat Mahasabha held a press conference in Jaipur and told media men that they were Muslims since past seven hundred years and it was the tradition of their tribe to circumcise their boys. He wondered from where the question of conversion arises when Muslims get their boys circumcised. He and other office bearers of the Mahasabha told news persons that this was solely their family matter and no other person or organization has any right to interfere therein.

When he was to be produced before the magistrate at Beawar court, VHP and Shiv Sena activists gathered in large number and began shouting slogans against Mangi Lal. Meanwhile, when a youth Bhanwaru Kathat came and consoled him and said not to worry everything will be ok, the activists of these fascist organizations chased after him. Instead of saving him from the goons, the police arrested Bhanwaru Kathat under section 151 (shattering peace). Another unpleasant thing that occurred was that the bar association of Beawar declared that no lawyer will take up Mangi Lal Kthat’s case. The Cheeta-Mehrat-Kathat Mahasabha hired a lawyer from Ajmer.

Mangi Lal Kathat is now in judicial custody, let us see if truth and justice will prevail or communalism and fascism will take over them.

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The Kathat story