Many videos of mazar demolitions in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, are going viral on social media these days. It has also been covered LIVE on some social media handles. Following the viral videos, some people from the Muslim community are demanding action from the administration in this regard.
Meanwhile, Swami Darshan Bharti from the Devbhoomi Raksha Abhiyaan has claimed responsibility for the said mazar demolition activities. OpIndia reached out to the people from the Devbhoomi Raksha Abhiyaan and described their actions as a struggle against a wider conspiracy while operating entirely within the ambits of the law.
Chandrabhushan Sharma, a local social worker, has taken the lead in the demolition action against alleged illegal mazars in Rishikesh and the neighboring areas. During a conversation with OpIndia on Tuesday, 5th September, 2023, he detailed the entire scenario stating that he launched this drive on August 26th of last month.
200 Mazars inside homes in Rishikesh and nearby areas
Chandrabhushan Sharma stated that while working in the area for a private company, he discovered around 200 tombs(mazars) have been erected inside private properties in and around Rishikesh. Ex-army officers, business owners, and even Hindu temple priests had these built inside their premises. Some Mazars were restricted to private access by people who had them built, but many others gradually became public. Annual Urs events were being celebrated in many of them by playing Qawwali and other traditional Islamic music, and visitors had begun to offer Namaz.
Giving an example of such priests of the temple, Sharma took the name of the priest of Mansa Devi Temple, Rishikesh, inside whose property a Mazar was built about 10 years ago. It has been alleged that it was promoted by priests under the name Pir Baba-Shiv Baba. According to Chandra Bhushan Sharma, the priest ultimately consented to allow the dismantling of the said Mazar after resisting it initially. He stated that an ex-soldier had constructed a mazar on such a large plot of land along the highway where at least three shops could have been opened.
Tentacles of illegal Mazars spread around Rishikesh
Several Mazars were demolished between August 27 and September 3 in Rishikesh’s Amit Gram, Mansa Devi Ward, and Suman Vihar areas. According to Chandrabhushan Sharma, this movement will continue until Rishikesh turns “illegal mazar Mukt” (free of illegal mazars). He further stated that this work is being done with personal funds as well as public assistance and that no one is informed about the next action beforehand. Anil Kumar of Rishikesh, who describes himself as an active participant in this movement, also spoke about legally removing unauthorized, illegal mazars. We have been informed that the menace of illegal mazars within private properties is spread across Rishikesh and around five kilometers of the nearby areas.
Dargah at the heart of the conspiracy
According to Chandrabhushan Sharma, those who visit dargahs over small issues are advised by the conspirators to construct their own mazars at home. Chandrabhushan specifically mentioned one Piran Kaliyar of Roorkee in this context. He claims that such persons not only provide masons to build shrines at home but also Islamic attire, including skull caps etc. Sharma claims that the people there additionally provided training for worship and other related aspects.
Anil Sharma told OpIndia that several ex-soldiers, business owners etc. were performing Islamic rituals at the mazars erected inside their properties as trained by the people at the Dargahs.
No demolition is undertaken without prior consent and written permission
We questioned Chandrabhushan Sharma if the police were acting against him for dismantling the alleged illegal mazars. Sharma, in response, stated that he obtained formal approval and consent for this action from the landlords who had the mazars built in their premises at the recommendation of others. Sharma further stated that before beginning his campaign to free Rishikesh from illegal mazars, he thoroughly evaluated all legal aspects.
Anil Kumar, another person involved in the campaign to demolish the illegally erected mazars in houses, stated that he had obtained approval and consent from the landowners for this. Anil Kumar also provided us with such consent letters. Permission is granted in this consent form to remove the mazars from one’s home voluntarily and out of obedience to the Hindu Dharma. In addition, it was proclaimed that such an act would not be repeated in the future, that no one would ever go to court, and so on. As seen in the image attached above, the consent letter begins with the chant ‘Om Shri Ganeshaya Namah’.
Converted Hindus behind the conspiracy
According to Chandrabhushan Sharma, an unlawful mazar network has been expanding in Rishikesh for the past 30 years. Some of the mazars demolished last week were almost two decades old. He did, however, claim that mazars had been built arbitrarily over the last five to six years. According to Chandrabhushan, many newly converted Hindus who accepted Islam are involved in the illegal mazar construction nexus.
On the condition of anonymity, Sharma mentioned a person who was formerly a Hindu but now practises Islam. Sharma claims that the person is very wealthy and has hired bouncers. The said person is working to convert people to Islam by denigrating Hindu deities.
Chandrabhushan Sharma declined to reveal the names of his other campaign associates. He also announced that the campaign will be accelerated in the near future and urged people to raise awareness about the same.
‘Wife of a Hindu man who built a mazar inside his property became the victim of Love Jihad’
OpIndia spoke with Swami Darshan Bharti, patron of the Devbhoomi Raksha Abhiyan, concerning the mazar issue. Swami Darshan Bharti informed us that a Love Jihad incident occurred at a residence in Rishikesh’s Amit Gram area, where most mazars are erected inside private properties. Darshan Bharti, requesting anonymity for the concerned family, stated that some fifteen years ago, a Hindu family built a mazar inside their house premises. While the husband continued to pray, the wife eloped with a Muslim. Swami estimates that this incident occurred roughly five years ago.
Illegal Mazars and the administration’s incompetence
Swami Darshan Bharti told us that he had already spoken with the administration about taking action against the illegally mushrooming mazars on his own initiative. He argued that the administration had demonstrated its inability to act by claiming that the Mazars were built willingly inside private properties. He described the organization’s campaign as lawful and as a last resort. He also called it a dangerous conspiracy and said that the locals have been turned against their own.
Swami Darshan Bharti claimed the saints’ dread of Muslims as the cause for surreptitiously mushrooming mazars in the spiritual city of Rishikesh. He described this fear as a compulsion for many people and urged them to join the anti-illegal mazar movement.
