Mazar Jihad: How Pretend Shrines Are Encroaching Land Illegally In India – DNA Decodes
Practically 11 years in the past, the Bollywood movie PK sparked debates about blind religion and spiritual exploitation, with actor Aamir Khan portraying an alien who exposes the commercialization of faith. Nevertheless, what the movie didn’t spotlight was how, beneath the guise of non secular religion, unlawful land encroachments happen within the identify of shrines.
This systematic encroachment follows a well-recognized sample—land is recognized, declared as the positioning of a saint’s shrine, a ceremonial chadar is positioned, incense sticks are lit, and small choices are made. Quickly, a boundary wall seems, turning public or authorities land right into a so-called mazar. Such instances will not be remoted; throughout India, hundreds—if not tens of millions—of such unauthorized buildings exist. Nevertheless, a crackdown is now underway, with Uttarakhand launching a bulldozer drive towards unlawful mosques and shrines. In at present’s DNA, Zee Information analysed Mazar Jihad instances in India:
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In varied areas, together with roadsides and railway stations, mazars have cropped up with claims that they maintain religious significance and fulfill prayers. Nevertheless, official investigations usually reveal that these shrines have been constructed with out authorization, serving as a entrance for land grabbing.
One such unlawful mazar in Uttarakhand, which had occupied authorities land, has now been fully demolished. What was as soon as a revered shrine, drawing crowds and donations, is now a leveled plot of land. The mazar in query, situated in Haridwar’s Suman Nagar space, stood adjoining to a roadway and had been constructed on land belonging to the Irrigation Division. Generally known as “Roshan Ali Shah Baba’s mazar,” it had existed for a number of years. Nevertheless, when authorities dismantled the construction, they discovered no remnants of a burial web site or any historic proof of a saint’s presence.
This case highlights a deeper difficulty—not simply the long-standing presence of such buildings, however the truth that they have been constructed on encroached authorities land. The Uttarakhand authorities, beneath Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, has already taken strict motion towards unlawful madrasas and is now increasing its efforts to take away unauthorized mazars. Authorities stress that the demolitions are essential to reclaim public land and put an finish to fraudulent land grabs disguised as spiritual websites. (Reporter: Ram Anuj Suman)
