A local court in Rajasthan, India, has ordered a survey of the Ajmer Sharif Dargah. Days after that, a group of former bureaucrats wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, urging him to intervene and stop all ‘illegal and harmful’ activities on India’s traditional and pluralistic identity.
The group of bureaucrats includes former Delhi Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung, former Indian High Commissioner to the UK Shiv Mukherjee, former Election Commissioner S Y Qureshi, retired Army Vice Chief Lt. Gen. Jamiruddin Shah and former Reserve Bank Deputy Governor Ravi Veera Gupta.
The gist of the letter
They mentioned in the letter that Modi himself had sent a ‘chadar’ to the dargah during the annual Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti and sent a message of anti-terrorism and peace. The shrine is now facing a “conceptual attack” that threatens India’s pluralistic culture.
They also said in the letter, “The attack on this shrine is not just a loss of a heritage site, but also an attack on the very concept of India’s integration.”
Court order
On November 27, a civil court in Ajmer issued notices to the Dargah Committee, the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the Archaeological Survey of India, alleging that the shrine was once a Shiva temple.
The bureaucrats claimed that the courts were quick to accept people’s demands, which violate the clear provisions of the Places of Worship Act.
Recent situation
The bureaucrats said in the letter that communal tensions have increased in India in the last decade and there has been extreme insecurity among minority communities. Incidents such as boycotts of Muslim businesses, non-payment of rent and destruction of Muslim homes and businesses by the administration have deepened this crisis.
Appeal to Modi
The bureaucrats have urged the Prime Minister to convene an interfaith meeting where he will reaffirm his strong commitment to India’s pluralistic tradition.
They said, “Time is running out. We urge you to restore trust among all, especially among the minority communities.”
At the end of the letter, they urged Prime Minister Modi to force state governments and administrations to ensure that they uphold their responsibilities under the Constitution and the law.
Source: The Telegraph
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