Skip to main content

'Hand over Gyanwapi to Hindus, take assurance structure won't be demolished'

By Our Representative 

Several pro-BJP Muslim intellectuals have insisted on the need to "amicably settle the Gyanwapi mosque impasse", insisting, "Muslims mustn’t repeat the mistake they made in the Ram Mandir case."
Calling themselves moderate Muslims, and forming Gyanwapi Reconciliation Committee, those who have sought conciliation include Firoz Bakht Ahmed, former chancellor of the Maulana Azad National Urdu University; Prof SN Pathan, former vice-chancellor of the Nagpur University; and Tanvir Ahmed, former Haj Committee chairman.
They have urged urged Muslims not to repeat the mistake committed at the time of the Ram Mandir standoff by their "adamant behaviour", which was allegedly guided by the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), whose attitude was "unbending and fissiparous".
Claiming that the AIMPLB doesn’t represent the Muslim community, they said in a statement, "Instead of indulging in unserviceable litigation, both the communities must join heads together to sort the contentious issue out of court and avoid any kind of belligerence or pouring out on the streets."
According to them, "Had the Muslims, with their large heartedness in reverence of Maryada Purushottam Lord Rama, offered/gifted his birthplace to the Hindu brethren, not only that this gesture would have cemented the mutual understanding and goodwill among both the communities for all time to come but would have guided the nation on the fast track of becoming the Vishw Guru (Leader of the World)."
Firoz Bakht Ahmed
Stating that the Gyanwapi issue is a "gilt-edged opportunity to make amends for the lost Ayodhya chance by offering the two properties, that is Gyanwapi and Mathura, to Hindu brethren to continue their worship, with a request that the structures be not demolished", the statement said, this would help "seal" on all other disputes, including Taj, Qutub Minar, Jama Masjid etc.
They further said, Muslims should apologize "for the excesses done unto Hindu community by all the rulers of the Sultanate and Mughal dynasty, especially Aurangzeb, who had desecrated and destroyed the temples, murdered his own brothers Dara Shikoh, imprisoned his father, butchered Guru Tegh Bahadur, beheaded four sons of Guru Govind Singh."
"If this happens", they asserted, "This would placate the frayed tempers of the Hindu community, resulting in concord and mutual harmony, besides seeking an assurance on behalf of the Hindus to take back the 44,000 odd cases round the nation against mosques, shrines khanqahs, that were built on Hindu temples."
They warned, "If Muslims keep on being adamant and unwavering, they would not just the lose Gyanwapi or Mathura but much more."

Comments

TRENDING

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Where’s the urgency for the 2,000 MW Sharavati PSP in Western Ghats?

By Shankar Sharma*  A recent news article has raised credible concerns about the techno-economic clearance granted by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) for a large Pumped Storage Project (PSP) located within a protected area in the dense Western Ghats of Karnataka. The article , titled "Where is the hurry for the 2,000 MW Sharavati PSP in Western Ghats?", questions the rationale behind this fast-tracked approval for such a massive project in an ecologically sensitive zone.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah  The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Will Bangladesh go Egypt way, where military ruler is in power for a decade?

By Vijay Prashad*  The day after former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, I was on the phone with a friend who had spent some time on the streets that day. He told me about the atmosphere in Dhaka, how people with little previous political experience had joined in the large protests alongside the students—who seemed to be leading the agitation. I asked him about the political infrastructure of the students and about their political orientation. He said that the protests seemed well-organized and that the students had escalated their demands from an end to certain quotas for government jobs to an end to the government of Sheikh Hasina. Even hours before she left the country, it did not seem that this would be the outcome.

Structural retrogression? Steady rise in share of self-employment in agriculture 2017-18 to 2023-24

By Ishwar Awasthi, Puneet Kumar Shrivastav*  The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) launched the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) in April 2017 to provide timely labour force data. The 2023-24 edition, released on 23rd September 2024, is the 7th round of the series and the fastest survey conducted, with data collected between July 2023 and June 2024. Key labour market indicators analysed include the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), Worker Population Ratio (WPR), and Unemployment Rate (UR), which highlight trends crucial to understanding labour market sustainability and economic growth. 

Venugopal's book 'explores' genesis, evolution of Andhra Naxalism

By Harsh Thakor*  N. Venugopal has been one of the most vocal critics of the neo-fascist forces of Hindutva and Brahmanism, as well as the encroachment of globalization and liberalization over the last few decades. With sharp insight, Venugopal has produced comprehensive writings on social movements, drawing from his experience as a participant in student, literary, and broader social movements. 

Authorities' shrewd caveat? NREGA payment 'subject to funds availability': Barmer women protest

By Bharat Dogra*  India is among very few developing countries to have a rural employment guarantee scheme. Apart from providing employment during the lean farm work season, this scheme can make a big contribution to important needs like water and soil conservation. Workers can get employment within or very near to their village on the kind of work which improves the sustainable development prospects of their village.

'Failing to grasp' his immense pain, would GN Saibaba's death haunt judiciary?

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  The death of Prof. G.N. Saibaba in Hyderabad should haunt our judiciary, which failed to grasp the immense pain he endured. A person with 90% disability, yet steadfast in his convictions, he was unjustly labeled as one of India’s most ‘wanted’ individuals by the state, a characterization upheld by the judiciary. In a democracy, diverse opinions should be respected, and as long as we uphold constitutional values and democratic dissent, these differences can strengthen us.

94.1% of households in mineral rich Keonjhar live below poverty line, 58.4% reside in mud houses

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  Keonjhar district in Odisha, rich in mineral resources, plays a significant role in the state's revenue generation. The region boasts extensive reserves of iron ore, chromite, limestone, dolomite, nickel, and granite. According to District Mineral Foundation (DMF) reports, Keonjhar contains an estimated 2,555 million tonnes of iron ore. At the current extraction rate of 55 million tonnes annually, these reserves could last 60 years. However, if the extraction increases to 140 million tonnes per year, they could be depleted within just 23 years.