The government’s website celebrating ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ has a separate section for the “unsung heroes of India’s freedom struggle”. Listed amongst these heroes is the famous Maulana Hasrrat Mohani. The Maulana, though initially elected on a Muslim League ticket, was a staunch opponent of the two-nation theory and was among those Muslims who decided to stay back in India, contributing significantly to the constitution-making process as a member of the Constituent Assembly.
His principles did not allow him to avail of any government allowances or accommodations. Even to attend the Constituent Assembly, he would choose to stay in mosques and ride in a shared tonga (horse carriage). One such mosque was a small but old one at the Sunehri Bagh Roundabout, in close proximity to Raisina Hill.
This small mosque at Sunehri Bagh, whose history reveals its survival even against Edwin Lutyens’ plan for New Delhi, has found itself in the eye of the storm over a century later.
The cause is a notice inviting suggestions issued by the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) regarding a proposal for its removal. The proposal, as the notice indicates, is submitted by the Delhi Traffic Police, ostensibly for providing a “traffic engineering proposal to ensure sustainable mobility.”
It is undoubtedly true that the mosque is a Delhi Waqf Board property and has been standing tall for centuries. As pointed out by numerous historians, it is an important heritage structure not only for Muslims but also for the democratic history of our nation. It serves as a reminder of one of the unsung heroes of the freedom struggle, whom we celebrate during the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. However, beyond the questions of religion and the rights of ‘minorities’ — a term that was not much to the liking of the Maulana either — a larger question of equality and reasonableness arises.
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here .