Tag Archives: Hindu-Muslim relations

Bhopal

Posted on by
Reply
the city

I visited Bhopal for first time with a friend and I really loved that place, especially the way Madhya Pradesh Tourism Department has organized tourism in the state. There was problem with the hotel but it was okay. We stayed at the Ranjeet Hotel near the railway station. The hotel was nice for the amount I paid but when I tried to book it over phone from Varanasi, they said that there was no room available. We arrived in Bhopal around 10.30 PM and we did not have any hotel booked but we knew the name of Ranjeet Hotel so we just decided to show up there and check our luck. Although they had already told me over phone that there was no room available, when we arrived there they gave us a room. It was strange but good.

bara lake

We had one important work in Bhopal which was to visit Chingari Trust to learn about their work which we were able to do the very next day after we arrived in Bhopal. Now we had plenty of time to see the city. We took some suggestions from the people working at Chingari Trust and went to visit the two lakes of Bhopal named Bada Talab and Chota Talab. Both of the lakes were just awesome. They looked clean and there were several options of water sports. The Chota Lake is separated from the Bada lake by an over-bridge. We did not play any sports but we just walked around and enjoyed the atmosphere.

beautiful kids at the mosque

After visiting the lake we took an auto rickshaw back to the hotel. But on the way to the hotel I asked the driver if he knew any good place to visit nearby and he told me about a mosque called Darul Uloom Tajul Masjid. I had already read about this mosque and wanted to visit it for sure so we decided to visit the mosque before going to the hotel. The visit to the mosques was one of the best things I did in Bhopal. The mosque itself was beautiful and really huge. This mosque is one of the biggest mosques of Asia. This mosque was one of very few mosques of India where they allow women, non-Islamic people and foreigners to enter in the mosque.

hyena in the naitonal park

Darul Uloom Taju Masid has an Islamic school inside the mosque and I met a really nice student studying there. He showed me his school, told me about his life, took me to his room… He said that he had already studied up to class 12th in a regular school but after completing class 12th, he decided to study Islam hence he joined the mosque. He showed me his books but when I wanted to touch his Quran, he immediately asked not to do so. He told me that since Quran is the most holy book for Muslim there is a certain procedure of cleaning the body before even touching the Quran. I was really impressed to see his respect for holy Quran.

lion was also there

I talked with him for about two hours and to be honest it was one of the best conversations I have ever had. We talked about politics and Hindu–Muslim tension also. He said that the reason behind tension between Hindus and Muslims are completely prohibited in Islam hence the people who create tension are not real Muslims for sure and if they say they are real Muslims they are telling a lie. I had also heard about this thing before and I was really happy to meet a young Muslim believing in this idea. I see these kind of people as the real development of India. We shared our contact information and I would love to meet him again whenever I go to Bhopal again in future.

awesome place

The next day we went to visit a small national park called Van Vihar. Van Vihar was also awesome. It was situated near to the Bara lake. They had bicycles for rent, battery-run vehicles or walking was also an option. It was really quiet and nice place. There were so many animals such as lion, tiger, leopard, deer, bear, hyena, crocodile, monkeys… All the animals seemed to kept in a good condition. It was a 7 KMs ride from one end to the other end of the park. Plastic bags were not allowed and it was a no-horn zone which means you just don’t feel like in India. At the other end of the park there was a cafeteria serving snacks. We rented a bicycle and watched the animals and enjoyed the quiet place a lot. It was a really nice experience.

look at the right side ones

There was something very interesting at the park. They had arrange different kind of urinal for Muslims. Actually Muslims have to sit when urinating hence a different kind of urinal system was arranged for them just next to usual urinals that we see elsewhere. This urinal system was setup closer to the ground level so that they squat and pee. I have traveled to so many places in India, have a lot of Muslim friends and have been to their homes also but had never ever seen anything like that before. Awesome. Actually Bhopal has a huge Muslim population and this might be the reason why they arranged such thing.

wetland for birds and crocodiles

The next day we went to Bhimbetka and on the way back to our hotel we visited an ancient Shiva Temple called Bhojpur Shiva temple. The next day we went to Sanchi. All of these places were really nice and I loved being in Madhya Pradesh. The weather was nice, it was really green and a lot quieter than where I live. The sites were clean, I never met any tout and everything looked cool for the tourists. My state has thousand times better tourism opportunities than Madhya Pradesh but only because of politics and government ignoring tourism all the time, very soon Madhya Pradesh will lead Uttar Pradesh. It was a very nice place to visit.

Please click here to see more pics of Bhopal:

Varanasi bomb blast

Posted on by
Reply
Dashashwamedh Ghat

affected area

Again something happened which I never like to hear about. Varanasi faced another bomb blast at Dashashwamedh Ghat during Ganga aarti. My profession brings me to this place at least 15 times a month but luckily I was there today hence I am in good enough condition to write this post but I am really sad for those people who are affected by it. The central government of India, the UP state government and media also is hiding the fact about the real number of victims. I have seen at least 10 ambulances full of injured people passing by my neighborhood but media and government says that only 20 people are injured and 1 girl died.

Empty ghats

empty ghats

The ambulances I saw were going to BHU only and I know that there are at least three more hospitals treating the victims so I am sure that the real number is at least over 100. I don’t have any words to express my feelings but enough is enough now. Indian Mujahideen which used to be a Muslim students organization in India called SIMI is taking responsibility of this attack. But I think Indian government, Indian police and our intelligence department is more responsible for it. I was surprised and sad both to hear the comment by Indian prime minister, Sonia Gandhi and UP police. The Indian prime minister and Sonia Gandhi are appealing people to be calm and UP police’s comment is that it was a terrorist attack.

Sad faces

Sad faces

The whole India knows that it was a terrorist attack and they don’t need to inform us about it but unfortunately this is what we hear all the time. But enough is enough and really need to do something. I can’t really do anything alone just by writing a post here on my blog but I want appeal to all those people who are reading my blog to come and unite against Indian police, our corrupt government, our intelligence department and terrorists. Think several times before voting and every time a policemen asks you for a bribe or if you ever see anything illegal happening, please document it and publish it somewhere so that we can raise awareness about it.  I am really sad and angry.

Sheeta temple near bomb blast place

Sheetla temple near bomb blast place

Bomb blast place

Security for VVIPs visiting the afftected area

Security for VVIPs visiting the afftected area

Road cleaning for VVIPs

Road cleaning for VVIPs

The whole city was closed in the protest against the bomb blast

The whole city was closed in the protest against the bomb blast

————————————————————————————————————————–
————————————————————————————————————————–

Ayodhya court decision

Posted on by
Reply

Ayodhya, Ayodhya, Ayodhya…I think the most popular word nowadays in India. Everybody was talking about what was going to be the decision of High court about Babri Mosque demolition. Actually this mosque was destroyed by radical Hindus on 6th of December, 1992 and since then the legal case was pending at the High court of UP. Everybody was so excited and scared also. People were so scared of the possibility of riots after the decision. We had army everywhere in the Varanasi where usually our streets are police free, we had helicopters in our sky… it was scary.

Finally the decision came and the court tried to make both Hindus and Muslims happy but Muslims do not seem to be happy with the decision. They immediately decided to go to the supreme court of India to challenge High court’s decision. Actually everybody knew that the case will be challenged in Supreme court for sure but it was strange to see how these political leaders became angry on the decision who were talking about respecting the decision of the High court. All of the leaders were appealing us to respect upcoming decision but they were the first one who seemed upset with the decision.

I was talking with a Muslim guy about what he thought about the decision and he said that all of the Muslims were very sad and disappointed with the decision. He said that they feel like High court treated them like beggars and gave only a small part of the land but honestly they have the rights over the whole premises. I did not like his view because the whole world knows that there used to be a Ram temple which was destroyed by Babur so Muslims should also think about it and be happy with the land they got for the sake of India.

In reality, if we look at the mosque through real Islamic rules, the Babri mosque should not be considered as a mosque because Islam says that any mosque built by destroying sacred places of other religions is not a mosque which clearly means that Babri mosque was not a mosque. And after all Muslims should think that the disputed premises was birthplace of Lord Rama which makes that premises a really sacred place for Hindus, maybe the most sacred place in whole India. And Babri mosque was not an important or sacred place for Muslims so why they are unhappy?

I am sure that Hindus would not compromise with this place and Muslims should also think about it. Anyways, the good thing that happened was that no riots and any tension happened because of the decision. I know it very well that many people are angry but by God grace nothing serious happened. In the year 1992 hundreds of people died. And not only in 1992 but in coming years also around 6th of Dec. I think that the young generation is educated and we do not want to fight for a piece of land. I believe that God is the same whether Allah, Ram, Jesus or anyone so why to fight?

I asked several people the same question that what should we built: a mosque or a temple and different people had different ideas and after hearing all of them I thought why not built a pub instead of a temple or a mosque. If the temples and mosque create tension then just built a pub and I am sure it will help people becoming friends with each other. Imagine Hindus and Muslims both coming under the same roof and drinking together and talking… what else we need. Communication gap is the biggest reason behind any kind of tension and this pub will finish the gap.

And this idea is already approved by a very famous and respected poet named Harivansha Rai Bacchan who talks about how temples and mosques make people fight and how drinking places bring people together in one of his most famous poets called Madhushala :

मुसलमान औ’ हिन्दू है दो, एक, मगर, उनका प्याला,
एक, मगर, उनका मदिरालय, एक, मगर, उनकी हाला,
दोनों रहते एक न जब तक मस्जिद मन्दिर में जाते,
बैर बढ़ाते मस्जिद मन्दिर मेल कराती मधुशाला!।५०।

धर्मग्रन्थ सब जला चुकी है, जिसके अंतर की ज्वाला,
मंदिर, मसजिद, गिरिजे, सब को तोड़ चुका जो मतवाला,
पंडित, मोमिन, पादिरयों के फंदों को जो काट चुका,
कर सकती है आज उसी का स्वागत मेरी मधुशाला।।१७।

सजें न मस्जिद और नमाज़ी कहता है अल्लाताला,
सजधजकर, पर, साकी आता, बन ठनकर, पीनेवाला,
शेख, कहाँ तुलना हो सकती मस्जिद की मदिरालय से
चिर विधवा है मस्जिद तेरी, सदा सुहागिन मधुशाला।।४८।

Lets forget about such issues and make the earth a beautiful and a happy place. Peace!


Hindu at Taj Mahal’s Namaz

Posted on by
8

I’ve always had a keen interest in various religions, particularly Islam, and recently, I had the opportunity to learn more about it. During my tour guide training in Gwalior, I shared an apartment with a Muslim man named Sana, and we’ve since become good friends. We lived together for six weeks in Gwalior, traveled together for a week in Jaipur and Agra, and I even stayed at his apartment in Delhi. I had long been curious about Namaz (the Islamic prayer) and was excited to learn more. On Eid, while staying with Sana, his friend Khesal, and Prem in Agra, we were just a five-minute walk from the Taj Mahal.

Sana is an unconventional Muslim. He once told me he was an atheist, while Khesal was a devout Muslim who would leave our training sessions to perform Namaz. Sana was quite open-minded, even about things like drinking, which is prohibited in Islam. On Eid, Sana and Khesal wanted to perform Namaz at the Taj Mahal, which offers free entry on this day. I asked if I could join them. Sana was supportive, but Khesal seemed concerned about bringing a non-Muslim to the mosque. I had discussed Namaz with Khesal the night before Eid and had some idea of what to expect, but I was both excited and a bit apprehensive.

I didn’t want to be stopped and told to leave because of my Hindu identity. Sana reassured me that everything would be fine if I followed his advice. He instructed me to hide the red thread on my wrist and to ensure my Janeu (sacred thread) wasn’t visible. Despite my excitement, I was nervous. I asked my friend Prem to join us, but he declined, citing his limited knowledge of Hinduism and his general discomfort. So, I went to the Taj Mahal for Namaz with Sana alone. I bought a handkerchief to cover my head and tried to blend in. With an estimated twenty to thirty thousand people present, I felt certain I was the only Hindu there, and as a Brahmin, I felt even more conspicuous.

When Namaz began, I was anxious about making a mistake. Sana had taught me the basics, and I was closely observing those around me. I did make a mistake, but Sana noticed and corrected me. I mistakenly recited the Gayatri Mantra instead of the Quranic verses, but I managed to complete the Namaz without drawing attention to my Brahmin background. Completing Namaz was a fulfilling experience. Sana had mentioned that regular Namaz practitioners seldom experience joint pain due to the frequent standing and bending. After performing Namaz, I ventured into the Muslim neighborhood behind the Taj Mahal and saw the festivities of the festival.

It was a wonderful experience, and I would love to learn Namaz properly in the future, especially with someone like Sana to guide and ensure my comfort.

Protecting Hindu temples in Varanasi

Posted on by
Reply

Tomorrow is Muharram, a significant festival for Muslims. On the eve of this festival, Muslims in the city hold a nighttime parade that starts from various mosques. During the parade, many male participants walk the streets, beating their chests as a symbol of mourning. This act commemorates the death of one of their revered figures. I always observe this parade with respect and appreciation for their traditions, culture, and religion. Each parade features a beautifully decorated horse, adorned with flowers, which people believe brings blessings. I also take one flower every year.

This year, however, I noticed something unusual. Yesterday, I saw municipality workers setting up bamboo barriers around Hindu temples in my neighborhood. When I inquired, they explained that the barriers were meant to protect the temples during the parade. I was perplexed, as I didn’t understand why Hindu temples would need extra security for this event. The workers mentioned that there is a concern that Muslims might harm the temples. While I had heard rumors about such tensions, I never thought they were true. The parade itself, with its intense atmosphere, might give an impression of potential violence.

There is always a heavy police presence, including the Rapid Action Force, to ensure security during the parade. I’ve heard claims that violence has occurred during these events in the past, though I can’t confirm their accuracy. Seeing the barriers around the temples made me question whether the concerns about this festival are justified. Varanasi is known for its Ganga-Jamuni culture, symbolizing the harmony between Hindus (Ganga) and Muslims (Jamuna). This tradition suggests a strong friendship between the two communities, but recent events make me doubt if this harmony still exists. The tension following the destruction of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya seems to persist, though it may be hidden rather than resolved.

It’s disheartening to see Hindu temples being barricaded. While the safety of temples is important, it is troubling that such measures are necessary. It feels as though the government and people are overreacting to protect the temples in a country where over 80% of the population is Hindu. This situation reflects poorly on the state of our societal relations. The government’s actions seem to suggest that Muslims are given undue influence, possibly for electoral reasons, and that this has led to an environment where Muslims feel they can act with impunity, even to the point of potentially damaging temples.

Last year, on December 6th, the anniversary of the Babri Mosque demolition, Muslims closed their shops in Varanasi to protest and demanded the mosque’s reconstruction. Despite the historical context of the mosque being built on the site of a previous temple, many still demand its restoration. This ongoing dispute has been in the Indian Supreme Court for fifteen years, with no resolution in sight. It seems the government avoids making a decision to avoid upsetting the Muslim community. Violence between communities is a recurring issue. I recall an incident from seven or eight years ago when Muslims killed a Hindu man during a protest.

The man, who was newly married, was murdered on the street, leaving his widow to face a lifetime of hardship. Such events are deeply painful and highlight the persistent, unresolved tensions. I believe that the tensions between Hindus and Muslims are exacerbated by government policies that discriminate along religious lines. For example, Muslims receive subsidies for pilgrimages to Mecca, but Hindus receive no such assistance for their pilgrimages. Additionally, Muslims are recognized as a minority group in certain states and receive special benefits, while Hindus are not afforded similar recognition in places like Jammu and Kashmir.

This kind of discrimination only fuels societal divisions. It is more productive to emphasize commonalities rather than differences, yet our government often does the opposite. A figure like Zakir Naik, who organizes lectures that highlight differences between Islam and other religions, contributes to this divide. His speeches, primarily attended by Muslims who cheer his assertions of Islam’s superiority, are reminiscent of how violence can be incited through rhetoric. His influence, though non-violent in method, is damaging in its own way.

It seems the Indian government is more willing to impose restrictions on places of worship rather than addressing the root causes of communal discord. The fact that we need to barricade temples reflects a broader issue of fear and division. It is unfortunate that such measures are seen as necessary, and it suggests that the government’s handling of communal issues has led to a situation where discrimination persists. I now find myself seeing the divine presence in confinement not just once a year, but twice, and while it’s not a major issue for me, it still doesn’t feel right.

Bakrid 2008

Posted on by
1

Every day, I witness something that nobody would ever want to see: blood and meat strewn everywhere in my city. During a Muslim festival called Bakrid, each Muslim family is expected to slaughter a male goat, and sometimes they buy one for every member of the family. After slaughtering the animals, they discard the waste on the roads. It usually takes the municipality four to five days to clean up the mess. There’s a show on Discovery Channel called *Dirty Jobs*, and while I’ve watched it occasionally, I can tell you that the tasks they feature are nothing compared to what our municipal workers endure.

For these four or five days, animal waste remains on the streets, and people generally avoid the Muslim neighborhoods during this period. I had witnessed this about ten years ago and was reluctant to return, but this year I decided to revisit it with Nadia, a researcher from Singapore. Initially, we planned to walk, but we soon opted for a rickshaw because the sight was overwhelming. Goat skins, meat, and other waste covered the streets, and I was astonished to see people standing around and conversing as if it were a normal part of their routine.

We rode through all the major Muslim neighborhoods in Varanasi, and everywhere we went, we saw the same scene: meat, goat skins, and blood. I even saw someone riding a camel through one of the neighborhoods. When I asked some locals, they informed me that the camel was going to be slaughtered as well. Wealthy individuals sometimes slaughter camels to display their affluence, and the number of camels slaughtered is reported in the news each year. I read that ten camels were slaughtered in Varanasi alone this year.

I’m unsure how to address this issue or whom to hold accountable, but it’s clear that maintaining sanitation is a shared responsibility. Disposing of animal waste on the streets is unsanitary, spreads disease, and is visually repulsive. There’s nothing worse than being surrounded by discarded meat. Nadia, who is also Muslim, was shocked by what she saw. In Singapore, such practices are completely hidden from view. People there contribute money to mosques for slaughtering, which is done discreetly.

Nadia remarked that this method in Singapore—paying for the slaughter to be done on one’s behalf—seems far superior to what we experience here. After witnessing the heaps of meat, she felt ill, and I couldn’t bring myself to eat that day. Nonetheless, it was an eye-opening experience for both of us. Despite the common belief that selling meat is prohibited in Varanasi, the reality is that meat is ubiquitous: in shops, kitchens, and sometimes even on the streets.

Major Terrorist Attacks in India

Posted on by
Reply

India has experienced a series of major bomb blasts over the years, often with devastating consequences. The news channel NDTV 24×7 categorizes these as major incidents, reflecting the scale of the problem. The following are notable examples:

Recently, a suspect in the Jaipur bomb blasts, a Muslim man who teaches at a madarsa in Varanasi, was arrested. This led to significant unrest, with thousands of Muslims protesting and blocking traffic, demanding his release. The situation escalated when the head of a prominent mosque in Benares intervened, promising to secure his release by a specific deadline. Despite police resistance, the suspect was eventually released on bail after extensive protests, including the involvement of local political leaders. This situation underscores the challenges faced by law enforcement and the delicate balance required in handling communal tensions and terrorism-related issues.

The difficulty in prosecuting suspects and managing public protests reflects the broader struggles in combating terrorism while maintaining social harmony.