By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
The word Deoband has a set impression and image – whether because of Darul Uloom, the largest Islamic seminary of Asia sitting in the lap of the city or because of fatwas manufactured here in wholesale. General perception is Deoband is a ghetto, dark and backward both in look and thought. It is not so, really.
As you enter the city of Deoband in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, a wide, neat and clean and hassle free road along with imposing peace will greet you. On either side of the road you have everything that makes it an average good city – private homes, not high rises, just one or two storey-high, shops, private nursing homes and hospitals and hoardings of coaching institutes and colleges. By now your impression of Deoband being a ghetto and dark is gone.
The city has not just Darul Uloom and some other big madrasas, here are also modern colleges – both general and of minority – technical institutes, some of them run by Muslims, and coaching centres. There is Islamia Inter College, Islamia Degree College and Tibbiya College, and Madani Technical Institute. And now your impression of Deoband being backward is also gone.
Along with good roads, water and electricity availability is also good. You will hardly see girls or women fetching water from roadside water tap, a common scene you encounter in the country.
Most importantly, the city is really peaceful belying the occasional protest staged by Hindutva elements against Muslims and Darul Uloom. In reality, both communities are living together in mixed areas having their shops.
Credit for good road and clean and peaceful city can be given to Mohd Haseeb Siddiqi, the current chairman of Deoband Nagarpalika Parishad.
Down to earth in tone and behavior, Siddiqi says: “What I am doing for the city is my responsibility. Chairman is elected to serve the city. I did not want to contest for the post but at the insistence of the city residents I agreed and got elected as chairman. This is my own town. If Almighty has given me a chance to serve the city it is the best opportunity for me to do that.”
Students of Darul Uloon Deoband walking in city street
Elaborating his plan for the city, Siddiqi, Darul Uloom alumnus who runs Madani Technical Institute in the shadow of Darul Uloom, says when he was elected he chalked out a plan to make the city clean and free from water problem.
“I made a plan for the basic needs of the town. Every mohallas even narrow streets were given concrete road. As many as 18 three-wheelers were purchased to collect garbage from the city and throw it out. Four tube wells were dug besides the old ones and almost every home was connected with water pipe,” says he in an interview with TCN.
Newly built Masjid-e-Rashid of Darul Uloom Deoband
He has also worked for peace and communal harmony in the city and played crucial role in maintaining peace post Babri verdict.
When in the morning you find rows of children in school uniform walking towards temples of learning you have a sigh of relief: Future is bright, not dark.