Ahmedabad: People outside Gujarat may not believe this but it can be
seen here with naked eyes ? defiling the Muslim religious shrines and
replacing them with fake Hindu gods of Sangh Parivar!

Most of the 267 shrines ? mosques, dargahs, idgahs, Peer dargah and
scores of Muslim owned shops and properties and even madrassas have
been turned into Hindu 'temples' where people go everyday with
coconuts or garlands and lamps worshipping them as if there was no
Muslim shrine or shop here!!

One funny name of a stone laid on many destroyed shrines is 'Hulladia
Hanuman' (riotous Hanuman), and of course, 'Jai Shri Rama' idols can
be seen placed in most of the burnt down properties of Muslims ?
including garages, shops and cabins! One can see such an organized
desecration in Eastern Ahmedabad, in particular. Paresh Tanna, a
resident of Bapunagar, said "we see those saffron-banded boys of
Bajrang Dal everyday with coconuts and lamps and pretending to
worship those gods at burnt down Muslim shops."

Among those 55 mosques and dargahs destroyed in Ahmedabad city alone
(as enumerated and identified by Bombay based magazine 'Combat
Communalism') are Saras Peer Mazar at Paldi, Zafar Row House Masjid
at Vatva, Peer Hazarat Samsuddin dargah, 400-year old mosque at
Menhdikuva in Dudheshwar, Sabarmati Highway mosque, Bibima Kabrastan
durgah, Idgah Kankaria, Mariambibi historic mosque, etc.

Places and shops owned by Muslims since decades where the Sangh
Parivar boys have 'proudly' placed their stone gods, are located at
Thakkarbapa Nagar, Bapunagar, Rahematnagar, Naroda, Odhav, Nikol and
Khokhra areas, according to local daily Gujarat Today. Police
complaints made by the original owners of these properties have not
brought any result so far. Affected victims have tried to remove such
intrusions through collector, police commissioner or even ministers
at Gandhinagar but without any success.

During a spree of announcements made by the chief minister recently,
he said that destroyed shrines would be handed over to NGOs to
rebuild. But not a single such NGO has come forward yet to undertake
this job as the government has not allocated a single paisa for the
purpose.

A Jaihind Bakery existing since last 30 years at Thakkarbapa Nagar
has a temple put up overnight! Nurjehan Abdul Pathan owned this
Bakery but it was looted and then burnt down on February 28 Gujarat
Bandh day itself. One can see a temple over there at present. Pathan
said ?it was in the presence of police that this property was looted
and burnt down by a mob.? His 26 year old son Wahindkhan and 16 year
old daughter Sairabanu are missing till today.

In the same way at Naroda Krishnanagar area Shaukatbhai Ganibhai
Mansuri ran his cotton works since a decade which also has been tuned
into a temple now after looting and burning it down. A 'Mini-Auto
Centre' at Thakkarnagar char raasta area is also replaced by a fake
temple! Police has not removed it so far despite several complaints.
A non-vegetable shop at Naroda Patiya area has also been turned into
a temple. Akbar Yakub's shop at Nikol char raasta area has also a
'temple' at present.

Worst picture one gets is on several sites of Ahmedabad's historic
monuments which have been desecrated or looted and burnt down by the
frenzied Sangh Parivar led mob. Some of the famous heritage monuments
under the protection of Archeological Survey of India (ASI) and the
state archeology department still await survey of the huge damages.
Of them, Malik Isan mosque at Isanpur was supposed to be protected by
the state archeology department, while Hasan Shahid mosque also known
as Paththarwali Masjid was under the ASI. In the same way, Muhafiz
Khan mosque is located in the hot riot area of Gheekanta in the
walled city lying now desecrated.

"No work of survey had been started as yet" admitted D.R.Gehlot, "due
to the prevailing volatile situation." Initial damage at Malik Isan
mosque was considered to be worth Rs 12 lakhs, according to
Y.S.Rawat of the state archeology department. He said it could take
five years to repair it if funds were available and peace prevailed-
nothing of which permeates the situation at present. There are scores
of other sites which lie in ruin all over the state. THE END