What happens when the population balance is disturbed? 'Be careful' is screaming, if you still don't understand then...!

Lucknow/Swaraj Today: The opening of the doors of the Shiv temple in Khaggu Sarai of Sambhal district of Uttar Pradesh after 46 years has brought forth many controversies and layers of history. This temple is located just 200 meters from the house of Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Zia ur Rehman Barq.

The temple was closed after the Hindu-Muslim riots in 1978. At that time the Hindu population had migrated, and the Muslim community took over the area.

After the 1978 riots, the Hindu population in this area of ​​Khaggu Sarai gradually vanished. After the riots, the idols of the temple were allegedly broken and thrown into a well and the temple was closed. After this, the area was occupied by Muslims. Shockingly, Zia ur Rehman's grandfather, Shafiqur Rehman, who was a long-time MP from this area, never took any action regarding this temple.

Why did Shafiqur Rahman ignore this temple?

The question arises as to whether their Islamic ideology stopped them from doing so. In Islam, idol worship is considered a sin and breaking idols is considered a virtue. It has been seen in history that Prophet Mohammed himself had broken 360 idols located in the Kaaba of Mecca and built a mosque there. So today, perhaps, his followers are also promoting the same ideology.

During the digging of the well located near the Shiva temple, broken idols of gods and goddesses were found 15-20 feet below. These include small idols of Mata Parvati, Lord Ganesha and Mata Lakshmi. These idols are 7-8 inches long. The administration has said that these idols will be sent for examination. After the opening of the temple after 46 years and the idols being found, people are reaching there in large numbers.

Locals have written “Ancient Sambheshwar Mahadev Mandir” on the temple, and “Har-Har Mahadev” is seen written on the walls. People are eager to worship, but the police have tightened the security arrangements. Due to the large Muslim population near the temple, the police have put up a heavy blockade to prevent any untoward incident. Every vehicle coming and going is being checked at the Sambhal border. The administration has received intelligence that some fundamentalists are trying to enter this area from outside. The police are constantly monitoring the situation. Most of the people who had committed violence and attacked the police during the survey of Sambhal Mosque had also come from outside. Now the administration is engaged in saving this temple from fundamentalists.

This incident is not just a matter of a temple, but also a symbol of Hindu-Muslim population balance and communal tension. In countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh, incidents of breaking temples and evicting Hindus happen openly because the Hindu population there has reduced drastically. But in India, the number of Hindus is so low that such incidents cannot happen easily in front of them. The question is if the population balance is disturbed, what will happen in the future?

This temple of Sambhal not only highlights a 46-year-old incident but also reminds us how deep the impact of religious fanaticism and communal politics can be. Now it remains to be seen in which direction the administration takes this matter and how it preserves this historical site.

PC:Swaraj Today