By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
While members of Shia Muslim community clashed with each other and with police on the streets of Lucknow today over a trivial issue, generally one hardly finds one among them who could stand against a bigger issue: illegal encroachments at Imambaras, Shia mosques and tombs in Lucknow and other districts of Uttar Pradesh.
In Lucknow alone, there are four Karbalas, two Imambaras, three mosques and four tombs among the centrally protected monuments which have illegal encroachments. Prominent among them are: Karbala Talkatora, Dianut-Daula Karbala, Bara Imambare (Asaf-ud-Daula’sImambara), Chhota Imambara/tomb of Mahammad Ali Shah, Asafi Masjid, Jama Masjid at Hussainabad, and Maqbara Shahnajaf or Tomb of Ghazi-ud-Din Haider
Bada Imambara of Lucknow [Photo by trekearth.com]
But the issue is not Shia or Lucknow specific. In entire Uttar Pradesh under the Lucknow Circle, there are 66 centrally protected monuments under encroachment. Of them, 27 are Muslim sites: 9 mosques and 18 other religious sites like dargahs, Imambaras, Karbalas, tombs and cemeteries.
If we look at the issue in national perspective, we find about 90 Muslim sites which, while enjoying the status of centrally protected monuments under Archaeological Survey of India, have been illegally encroached upon. They include 42 mosques and 34 dargahs, tombs, imambaras and Karbalas. These sites are in the official list of 249 centrally protected but encroached monuments in the country.
The Union Minister of State for Planning and Parliamentary Affairs V. Narayanasamy informed Lok Sabha earlier this week that there are illegal encroachments at 249 centrally protected monuments in the country. He provided the list of these protected monuments and also offered reason for encroachments: rapid urbanization, increasing pressures on land, commercialization, etc.
He also informed the House that the Superintending Archaeologists of all 22 ASI Circles have been delegated the powers of the Central Government for the removal of encroachments under the provisions of Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites & Remains Act, 1958 and Rules 1959.
He further said that these officials have also been vested with the powers of Estate Officer under the provisions of the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971 to initiate action against the encroachers.
Among the 22 circles, the Lucknow Circle tops the list with 66 protected monuments under encroachments – 27 are Muslim religious sites. Lucknow is followed by Dharwad Circle in Karnataka with 56 encroached monuments. However, this circle has more Muslim sites (33), including 18 mosques, under encroachments than any other circles.
Delhi, the National Capital, has its own share of Muslim sites under encroachments. In Delhi, there are 5 mosques and one tomb of Razia Begum among the total 11 protected monuments to have been encroached. However, Gujarat surpasses all states in the highest percentage of Muslim sites under encroachments.
Under Vadodra Circle, there are 12 centrally protected monuments under encroachment. Nine of them are related to Muslims: 6 mosques and 3 tombs.
Many may use the fact of various mosques under encroachment to argue against the bloody fight on Babri land. Why this fight when not even slight movement within the community to restore other innumerable captured/encroached mosques, they would say. But by saying so, they will forget that the fight for Babri is not just for a piece of land, rather for democracy, rule of law and justice.