THE ongoing campaign by Sangh Parivar fanatics in India questioning the origins of mosques and other Muslim holy places threatens to stir up a hornet’s nest. Hindu extremists have filed numerous petitions calling for surveys of various Muslim sites contending that these have been built over temples. As per India’s The Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, the religious character of any worship place must be maintained as it was on Aug 14, 1947. However, an observation by India’s former chief justice D.Y. Chandrachud — according to which the character of a worship place cannot be changed, yet ‘investigations’ into its origins could be conducted — has allowed obscurantists to demand ‘surveys’ of numerous mosques. In November, a judge allowed the survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in UP’s Sambhal, which caused deadly communal clashes in the area. Moreover, religious tensions have been running high over the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi. Even the revered dargah of Khawaja Moinuddin Chishty in Ajmer has not been spared, with a Rajasthan court calling for its survey. Delhi’s famed Jama Masjid is also on the Hindutva hit list. Fortunately, the Indian supreme court has halted new suits against places of worship till further notice.

On the face of it, there is nothing wrong with exploring the historical origins of sites. But this is the job of academics, equipped with facts and aware of the historical context of structures. When hatemongers call for digging up every mosque to see what lies beneath, there is a darker agenda driving matters. Moreover, in India’s context, where Hindu zealots destroyed the Babri Masjid and started a chain reaction of intense bloodletting, no chances can be taken. India’s higher judiciary should consider the spirit of the 1991 law, and firmly reject moves by the Sangh to harm Muslim heritage. Moreover, India’s intelligentsia need to speak louder against this madness in order to preserve religious harmony.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2024