By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
Ahmedabad: Isn’t it an irony that a person who never tired of boasting to be a Gujarati in his lifetime, his grave is razed in the name of ‘Gujarati pride.’ This happened to 17th century Urdu poet Vali during the 2002 Gujarat pogrom.
Six years after his grave was demolished by a riotous mob, it still stands razed there on Shahibaug Road, thanks to insensitiveness on the part of the Narendra Modi-led BJP government in the state. The grave, along with many other graves and mazars, was razed during massacre and mayhem launched in a planned way soon after the torching of a coach of the Sabarmati Express at Godhra. As many as 60 people were killed in the train fire.
It is not that locals did not make any effort to restore the grave. But every effort in this regard was crushed by the communal forces which seem to have backing of the establishment. Yes, the government has made an effort to honour the poet who must be turning in his grave for the treatment meted to him and thousands of innocent people. The state government has set up Vali Gujarat Ghazal Kendra in the memory of the legendary poet. But it is silent about the restoration of the grave.
None other than former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral himself has expressed surprise at the incident and more at the non-restoration of the grave. He urged the government to rebuild the grave but in vain.
The role of the literary organizations has not been very encouraging. Gujarati Sahitya Parishad has thought it better to maintain a safe distance from the issue. Nor has been vocal the Urdu Sahitya Academy, maybe because of their limitations and restrictions. Gujarati Lekhak Mandal and Pragatisheel Lekhak Sangh have not done enough to break the ice.