By A Mirsab, TwoCircles.net,
Panipat (Haryana): The move by Haryana Waqf Board to take under its direct control the properties of Hazrat Hafiz Shamsuddin Panipati dargah has irked the All India Ulema and Mashaikh Board (AIUMB), who want the waqf board to hand over the control to Hafiz Meraj Sabri, the traditional treasurer/authority of the dargah.
The AIUMB has alleges that the waqf board is unnecessarily interfering in the tradition that has continued since years with regards to the maintenance and propriety of the dargah. On the other hand, the Haryana Waqf Board has said that they have taken decision to directly supervise Dargah property as it has received many letters from the devotees and people complaining about misappropriation of the Dargah property by its handlers.
Masjid and dargah of Shamsuddin Turk Panipat.
(Photo courtsey: aulia-e-hind.com)
Reacting to the waqf board appointing a new treasurer and a supervisor for the dargah, AIUMB’s Syed Ammar Ahmad Ahmadi Nermiya said, “Waqf board’s role should be only restricted to merely being the custodian and it should not interfere in the tradition. The dargah was free from the authority of waqf till now and hence it should not appoint any other treasurer or supervisor in contravention of the tradition.”
Nermiya appealed to the waqf board not to meddle in the working of dargah and requested to roll back its decision about newly appointed treasurer and supervisor so that Hafiz Meraj Sabri can continue to look after the affairs of Dargah and its properties.
However, the waqf board says that it was never that the dargah was out of its control but earlier it was controlled indirectly and the board has now decided to have direct control over it as in recent past it has received many complaints.
Talking with TwoCircles.net, Mubarak Sahib, officer from Haryana Waqf Board said, “The board has been receiving continuous complaints that the handlers of dargah are misusing its treasure and hence after preliminary enquiry, we decided to directly take it in our control.”
“It has property worth lakhs of rupees and there are many shops leased by the dargah. Donation too is received in lakhs of rupees by the dargah. But it lacked accountability, no audit was ever conducted. The decision of board is in the interest of the community and aims to protect the property in a better way,” he adds.
On questioning that, the board removed the traditional body of the dargah from its authority and appointed its own faces to supervise the affairs of Dargah, he replied, “We are not opposed to the earlier authority but want it be appointed through us. If they wish to have its authority, then let them come to us, we shall have meetings and if we are convinced then they can be officially appointed as its supervisor”.