Vadodara Dargah mounting riot pressures
MIL/Agencies, May 2, 2006. Author:


Vadodara, May 2 - Under an encroachment drive, the VMC had pasted a notice about the demolition on the dargah walls last Wednesday. As per authorities, it is an encroachment under law and its structure could be removed.

This dargah is on the Fatehpura-Champaner Road. The dargah of course finds mention in the Baroda State's city survey of 1911 but it is not officially a protected monument. Moreover, it did not show any ownership. 
 
The Muslims believe that was of a Sufi saint, Sayed  Rashiuddin Chishti. They have so much respect for the Sayed, that the community is not going to budge, lot of clashes, stone throwing and arsons were seen, but no peace seems to be in sight.

Six of the 13 police station areas in Vadodara were put under curfew on Monday after the demolition of the dargah led to clashes. As per official figures, four people were killed, two of them in police firing, and 21 injured when the violence spread.

Community leaders had resisted this move with official petitions on Saturday. They had demolished 20 temples to clear the roads for the people.

On Monday morning at 9.30, a delegation of Muslim leaders was invited to a meeting with the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) to evolve a consensus to remove the dargah.  

They said if you have demolished 20 temples doesn't mean that you can also demolish our dargah.

  "It would have been discrimination to allow partial removal of the dargah while entire temples are removed. We had to take a policy decision to remove it,'' said Pathak, who added that the violence had been an unfortunate development.

As tension mounted, an inadequate police force resorted to tear gas and lathi-charge to control the swelling mob, and the ire against authorities turned into communal clashes.

Stone pelting ensued in the mixed neighborhood of the Walled City and curfew was imposed by noon in the City police station area. The violence escalated and spread to other parts of the city.

Till evening, a continuous stream of injured, most in police firing, kept trickling in at the hospital. At the end of the day, the mayor and the municipal commissioner could only say that the demolition drive would continue and that the violence was not anticipated.

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