The excuse this time was traffic concerns, which seemed rather half-baked given that the historic Sunehri mosque had stood at the intersection in New Delhi for at least 150 years without any complaints. However, last summer, the New Delhi Municipal Corp (NDMC) deemed the landmark a traffic hazard and scheduled its demolition.
The NDMC’s decision sparked outrage, with 6,000 emails from heritage conservationists and Muslim organizations vehemently protesting the action flooding NDMC’s servers. The Delhi Waqf Board (DWB) filed a complaint to the Delhi High Court, which was dismissed on December 18. This led to a coalition of scholars, attorneys, and the Indian Civil Liberties Union writing to the NDMC, emphasizing the historical importance of the mosque and offering alternative solutions to the supposed traffic problem.
Historian S. Irfan Habib describes the Sunehri mosque as “not just a mosque, it has a history that is closely associated with several of our freedom fighters. Hasrat Mohani, a member of our Constituent Assembly, used to stay here while attending the meetings. Care for its illustrious history.”
The Indian History Congress called NDMC’s decision “unacceptable and unwise” and expressed concern over the erosion of medieval architectural heritage in recent times.
Despite its significance as a monument of mutual religious respect between Hindus and Muslims, the Sunehri mosque is now the latest target in a pattern where Muslim holy sites are being demolished.
The campaign against historic mosques in India parallels the government’s effort to redefine Indian-ness as essentially Hindu, threatening the country’s commitment to secularism and endangering the status of Muslims.
The fate of the Sunehri Mosque is still uncertain, with the Delhi Traffic Police referring the matter to the Heritage Conservation Committee as of February 28.
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