Ex-bureaucrats urge PM Modi to stop ‘ideological assault’ on Ajmer dargah

New Delhi: In the wake of a local court's order for a survey of the Ajmer Sharif dargah, a group of former bureaucrats and diplomats has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention to stop what they described as "illegal and pernicious" activities that amount to an "ideological assault" on India’s civilisational heritage and undermine the inclusive nature of the country.

The group, which stated that only Modi has the authority to put an end to these activities, reminded him that he had previously sent "chadars" as a gesture of homage to the 12th-century Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, known for his message of peace and harmony.

The letter, dated November 29, was signed by nearly half a dozen former officials, including former Delhi lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung, former high commissioner to the UK Shiv Mukherjee, former chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi, former vice-chief of Army staff Lieutenant General Zameeruddin Shah, and former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) deputy governor Ravi Vira Gupta. They raised concerns about fringe groups, claiming to represent Hindu interests, demanding archaeological surveys of medieval mosques and dargahs to establish the prior existence of temples at these sites.

The former officials pointed out that despite the clear provisions of the Places of Worship Act, courts have shown undue haste in responding to such demands. They noted that it was hard to fathom that a local court would order a survey of the 12th-century dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti – a revered Sufi site not just for Muslims but for all Indians who value the country’s syncretic and pluralist traditions. They argued that the idea of a mendicant saint, a fakir integral to the Sufi movement and a figure of compassion and harmony, destroying a temple to assert his authority is preposterous.

The court in Ajmer had issued notices to the Ajmer Dargah committee, the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs, and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on November 27, following a petition by Vishnu Gupta, the national president of the Hindu Sena, who claimed that the dargah was originally a Shiva temple.

The letter reminded the prime minister that successive leaders, including Modi, have sent "chadars" during the annual Urs of the saint, emphasizing the importance of maintaining respect for this sacred site. The former officials stated that an attack on the dargah is an assault on India’s civilisational heritage and threatens the very concept of an inclusive nation that Modi himself has sought to promote. They added that societal progress and the vision of a developed Bharat cannot be achieved amid such disturbances.

The group, identifying as independent citizens, highlighted that over the past decade, relations between communities, especially Hindus and Muslims and, to some extent, Christians, have become strained, creating extreme anxiety and insecurity among minority communities. They referenced the painful memories of Partition and the subsequent riots, as well as periodic communal violence that has tested inter-communal harmony.

They pointed out that recent events have shown the increasingly partisan role of certain state governments and their administrative machinery, which they described as unprecedented. What began with harassment of Muslim men accused of carrying beef has escalated to lynchings, Islamophobic hate speech with genocidal undertones, and calls for the boycott of Muslim businesses and eateries. Additionally, they noted cases of non-renting of premises to Muslims and the bulldozing of Muslim homes, often directed by chief ministers and local authorities, leading to widespread displacement. They reported that around 1.54 lakh establishments have been affected, leaving thousands homeless or without businesses, most of whom are Muslims.

The group called such activities unprecedented and unsettling, shaking the confidence of minority communities and secular Indians both within the country and abroad. They criticized fringe groups that claim to represent Hindu interests for demanding archaeological surveys of medieval mosques and dargahs to prove the previous existence of Hindu temples.

The former officials urged the prime minister to take action to ensure that chief ministers and their administrations adhere to constitutional principles, warning that any failure to do so would lead to "untold misery." They called for an interfaith meeting chaired by Modi, in which he should send a strong message that India remains a land where faiths coexist in harmony and that no sectarian forces will be allowed to disrupt this legacy. They concluded by urging the prime minister to reassure all Indians, particularly minority communities, that his government remains steadfast in its commitment to communal harmony, integration, and peaceful coexistence.

With PTI inputs