Committee writes to President Kovind, PM Modi to take control of Sufi shrine

Saying that the 14th-century dargah of Sufi saint Imam Shah Bawa located on the outskirts of Ahmedabad is being "converted into a Hindu temple" by placing idols of Hindu gods, a committee comprising of Sufi saint's Muslim followers has sent representations to the President of India, the Prime Minister and Gujarat Chief Minister, among others, requesting to take control of its management.

The representation has been sent by the secretary, Imamshahi Sadat Committee, Azhar M Saiyed. The committee has five members including the three Shahdad or Sadat members of the dargah trust named Pirana Imamshah Bawa Roza Trust. The trust has 11 members including eight Hindus and three Muslims. The Hindu followers of Imam Shah are called "satpanthis" or true path while Muslims are Saiyeds or Sadat.

The representation letter states that the committee had written 18 times to Ahmedabad district collector and sub-divisional magistrate, Daskroi raising its "apprehension" that the dargah would be converted into a Hindu temple. However, the authorities didn't heed.

It is the same place where RSS held its annual "Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha" meeting earlier this month. The Hindu trustees call the shrine "Prerna Tirth or Samadhi Sthal" and address Imam Shah Bawa as "Imam Shah Maharaj."

When asked about the complaint, Harshad Patel, one of the Hindu trustees, told DH, "There is nothing illegal here. It is a temple and accordingly, we have placed idols of Dashavatar (Lord Vishnu). The decision to place idols was taken by a majority vote by the trustees, so where is the illegality in it?"

When contacted, Ahmedabad district collector Sandeep Sagle said that he had received a representation in this regard. "I will ask the SDM to look into the matter," he added. The conflict has been brewing over the last three to four decades with Muslim followers alleging that shrine is being "converted into a Hindu temple" while Hindu trustees claim that it was always a Hindu temple.

Located about 20 km from Ahmedabad in Pirana village, the Hindu trustees erected a boundary wall earlier this year close to the fence overnight leading to fresh protests by Muslim groups. The wall separated Imam Shah's shrine from the mosque and a cemetery.

At present, only the mosque and cemetery are under the custody of Muslim trustees while his shrine is being managed by Hindus, who they call as a place of Nishkalanki Narayan Bhagwan, believed to be the 10th incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

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