Mon 16 January 2023:

A historical mosque located in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh was reportedly demolished on Sunday in order to “widen the road”.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s former chair of International Water Cooperation Ashok Swain shared a video of the mosque being bulldozed on his official Twitter handle.

A historical mosque is being bulldozed in UP, India, to widen the road! pic.twitter.com/IsUWunoIJy

— Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) January 15, 2023

Journalist and activist against Islamophobia CJ Werleman also shared the video, saying that the mosque has been demolished by the Hindutva regime under the pretext of widening the road.

Historical mosque is demolished by the Hindutva regime in Uttar Pradesh, under the pretext of “road widening.” #India pic.twitter.com/dCXcnVCbst

— CJ Werleman (@cjwerleman) January 15, 2023

According to Muslim Spaces, the mosque destroyed was Shahi Masjid in Handia, Allahabad and was constructed during the time of Sher Shah Suri.

It was demolished in the presence of the Public Works Department to widen GT Road while the matter was reportedly listed for January 16th in the lower court.

Shahi Masjid martyred in Handia, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh!! Construction was done during time of Sher Shah Suri, demolition was done in presence of Public Works Department for widening of GT Road!

Imam Md Babul Hussain said the matter in lower court was listed for January 16th!! pic.twitter.com/yGt99eaZ4b

— Muslim Spaces (@MuslimSpaces) January 14, 2023

According to Dainik Bhaskar To save the Shahi Masjid, the local people had appealed to the High Court, from where, after being disappointed, they have taken refuge in the Civil Court, where the hearing is going on.

The next date for the debate has been received on January 16. The Imam of the mosque, Mohammad Babul Hussain, told that we had gone to the High Court, but the High Court said that the matter was of the Civil Court, after which we went to the Civil Court, where the stay was rejected by the Civil Court. It was done, after which we went to the lower court where we had a hearing. The Imam told that on January 9, when the mosque was demolished, there was a hearing in the lower court regarding the mosque.

“During the demolition of the mosque, we told the officials that the matter is going on in the court, no order has come yet, but the mosque was demolished. When the mosque was demolished, we gave an affidavit in the court on 10th. Later today and our lawyer has told that we have got the next date for arguments on 16th January”.

People told that during the time of Sher Shah Suri, after the construction of the road by him, mosques and inns were built on the roadside to serve the passers-by. So that the travelers who have to travel a long way can stop here and take rest.

Sher Shah Suri

Sher Shah Suri (1486 – 22 May 1545), born Farīd Khān, was the founder of the Suri Empire in India, with its capital in Sasaram in modern-day Bihar. He introduced the currency of rupee. Sher Shah of Sur took control of the Mughal Empire in 1540.

His reorganization of the empire laid the foundations for the later Mughal emperors, notably Akbar, son of Humayun.

Sher Shah’s Administration

Sher Shah was the founder of Sur Dynasty.
His original name was Farid.
He was the son of Hasan Khan, a jagirdar of Sasaram in Bihar.
He was given the title Sher Khan for his bravery under the Afghan Rule of Bihar.

Sher Shah Sur (1486-1545)

Sher Shah Sur’s conquests include Bundelkhand, Malwa, Multan, Punjab, and Sind.
His empire occupied the whole of North India except Assam, Gujarat, Kashmir, and Nepal.
Though his rule lasted for only 5 years, he has organized an excellent administrative system.
The king was aided by four important ministers.
1. Diwan –i- Wizarat or Wazir – in charge of Revenue and Finance
2. Diwan-i-Ariz – in charge of Army
3. Diwan-i-Rasalat – Foreign Minister
4. Diwan-i-Insha – Minister for Communications
Sher Shah’s empire was divided into forty-seven Sarkars
Each sarkar was further divided into various Parganas and in charge of various officers.
- Shiqdar – Military Officer
- Amin – Land Revenue
- Fotedar – Treasurer
- Karkuns – Accountants
Iqtas – various administrative units
Under Sher Shah, the land revenue administration was well organized.
The land survey was sensibly done.
All cultivable lands were classified into three classes – good, middle and bad.
The state’s share was one-third of the average production and it was paid in cash or crop.
Sher Shah introduced new copper coins called “Dam”. It is believed that this coin is one of the possible sources for the English phrase “I don’t give a dam(n)″, due to its small worth.
Police were competently restructured and crime was less during his regime.
Shah borrowed many ideas like the branding of horses from Alauddin Khalji
Sher Shah had also developed the communications by laying four important highways.
- Sonargaon to Sind
- Agra to Berhampur
- Jodhpur to Chittor
- Lahore to Multan

Discrimination

Last month marked 30 years since the 16th-century Babri Mosque in the northern Indian city of Ayodhya was torn down by Hindu hardliners, who claimed the site was the birthplace of their lord Ram.

Pakistan has condemned the ongoing construction of a Hindu temple on the site and called on New Delhi to ensure that the historic mosque was rebuilt on its original site and the criminals responsible for its destruction were awarded befitting punishment.

Recently, a court in Uttar Pradesh ordered the survey of the 17th century Shahi Idgah Mosque in Mathura, 57 kilometres north of Agra city, after a right-wing Hindu group claimed that the mosque was built on the birthplace of Lord Krishna.

The local court in Mathura asked the Archaeological Survey of India to conduct a survey after January 2. The report will be submitted after January 20.

An anti-Muslim narrative is spreading in India due to a dedicated effort by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.

This is evidenced by the demolition of nearly 500 mosques and shrines in the Indian state of Gujarat with impunity, according to a report of the People’s Union for Human Rights.

Further evidence of the anti-Muslim drive is the disappearance of 650 mosques of various sizes in Amritsar, as per numbers obtained from Surinder Khochar, an Indian researcher who researches religious places in India and Pakistan.

This anti-Muslim narrative has also led to thousands of Muslims in the Indian state of Uttarakhand facing the threat of eviction from their homes.

Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, has repeatedly claimed in public rallies that Muslims in India have committed “land jihad” by occupying spaces meant for Hindus and that the BJP will enact laws to put an end to this land jihad.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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