SYED KHALIQUE AHMED
NEW DELHI, NOV 23
A delegation of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) led by its vice-president Prof. Mohammad Salim Engineer was among several Muslim and Sikh groups that visited the Gurudwara Shri Guru Singh Sabha in Sadar Bazar, Gurgaon, and thanked its management for offering its premises for Friday Muslim prayer.
Some of the local Muslims, including Mufti Mohammad Saleem and former Rajya Sabha MP Mohammad Adeeb gave a letter of thanks to Gurudwara chairman Sherdil Singh Sidhu.
Though the Friday prayers could not be held in Gurudwara premises on November 19 (Friday) because of the day being Gurupurab, the biggest festival of the Sikh community, the Muslim leaders said that the gesture itself was very important, particularly when some people were strongly opposing Friday prayers in government parks and open plots and Muslims have very few options.
Prof. Salim thanked Sidhu and his wife-Gagan-for their offer for Friday prayers. He said that the gesture was a strong message to those who wanted to divide society. Prof. Salim said that Sidhu’s gesture and a Hindu youth Akshay Yadav permitting Muslims to use his shop in Sector 12 of the city for Friday prayers showed that the majority of the people in India believed in co-existence and religious tolerance.
During discussions with Prof. Salim, Sidhu said that he decided when he learned that Muslims were harassed for performing prayers in government parks and other places. He said that Gurudwara is a religious place and was open to anybody with any discrimination.
Sidhu said that there should not be any politics on prayers.
He admitted that there was pressure on him from protesters who wanted Guruduwara premises not to be allowed for Muslim prayers.
“But I told the protesters that Gurudwara is a religious place and everyone, irrespective of his faith, is welcome,” Sidhu told this scribe. He candidly admitted that he was under a lot of pressure from protesters and their leaders not to allow Friday prayers in Gurudwara premises.
Prof. Salim also met several shopkeepers in Sector 12 automobile market who are running car repair workshops. Shopkeepers told him that they did not face any problem in the city, except protest against Friday prayers in the open spaces by some interested groups. Hindu outfits are opposing Muslims praying in the premises of a shop belonging to a Hindu. The Hindu hardline group has already forced Muslims not to pray in an open space belonging to a Hindu.
Sidhu offered the Gurudwara basement for Friday prayers after some Hindu groups organized protests against Muslims, offering Friday prayers in public parks and open government plots.
Muslims have been offering prayers in open public parks and government lands because the government has not allotted them land for a mosque in the New Gurgaon.
In addition, as many as 19 mosques-big and small-are under illegal possession of Hindus since 1947. All efforts by the Haryana Wakf Board to get them vacated have failed so far. Local Muslims allege that police and administration are not interested in restoring the mosques to the Muslims.
Delegations from Punjab visit Gurgaon Gurdrawa
Several delegations from Punjab and other places have visited the Gurudwara in the last week and met its chairman Sherdil Singh Sidhu. Sidhu said that he was continuously receiving delegations from different places admiring his gesture. He said that he was also receiving a large number of phone calls in this connection.
Daya Singh, a Sikh leader from Gurgaon, who also visited the Gurudwara, praised Sidhu for offering the Gurudwara premises for Friday prayers. He said that Sidhu’s offer would go a long way in strengthening the harmonious relationship between communities.
Prof. Salim meets Hindu leader
JIH leader also called on Sanyukta Hindu Sangharsh Samiti leader Kulbhushan Bhardwaj leading the protest against ’namaz’ in open spaces. Samiti is a conglomeration of 22 Hindu outfits.
Prof. Salim said that the purpose of the visit was to know the root cause of the issue and find a durable solution. He said that the discussions were held in a very cordial atmosphere. However, he refused to divulge the details of his talks with the Hindu leader.
(Syed Khalique Ahmed is the Chief Editor of indiatomorrow.net)
