New Delhi: Eminent History professor Mridula Mukherjee, the ex-chairperson of the Centre for Historical Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, on Tuesday said that the ongoing dispute over the Gyanvapi Mosque is part of a political agenda and it has nothing to do with history.
Talking to ETV Bharat, Mukherjee said, "All that is happening now -- whether it is the Gyanvapi Mosque, Mathura or others -- it is difficult to believe that they are all happening simultaneously. Everywhere the local people are getting more and more interested in these matters where temple remains are being found at the present site of Mosques. This is all part of a political agenda. It has nothing to do with history and it has everything to do with politics. All these claims are not new but suddenly they are coming into the public forum and have a political agenda."
After the alleged discovery of a Shivaling during a court-mandated survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi, the dispute now has once again brought back the Mathura temple and Shahi Idgah case. While some Hindu petitioners claim that there was a temple there and the alleged discovery of Shivling is proof of that, the Muslim petitioners on the contrary deny any such claims. With this dispute picking up sudden acceleration with various historians sharing opposite views, the matter has once again hogged public attention.
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Meanwhile, Prof Kapil Kumar speaking to ETV Bharat said, "from the time of Babar to Shah Jahan, there were no Mosques there. But as per the evidence sourced from the Royal Asiatic Society in Calcutta, there is evidence that orders were given to demolish the temples. From Masir-e- Alamgir, it is clear that Aurangzeb was informed at that time to demolish the temple," added Prof Kumar.
The question that stems from here, he further said, is why would they choose a place where there is a temple to build a mosque. "Many Islamic scholars are claiming that these Lotus symbols (Hindu symbols) were adopted by third Mughal emperor Akbar in Din-i-Ilahi. But these same scholars are also condemning Din-i-Ilahi. Meanwhile, some Islamic scholars are also claiming that it is mentioned in the Quran that a mosque cannot be built on an already existing religious structure," he said, underlining the discrepancies in expert reviews.
He further highlighted how a number of churches have been converted into mosques in other countries like Spain and Turkey. "In Khambhat, there is a mosque named 'Ek Raat ki masjid'. The name was given because a temple was converted into a mosque in one single night here. Not only this, there are several similar cases where a temple is being converted into a mosque but there's not even one case where a mosque is converted into a temple," added Prof Kumar.
Another History professor at JNU, who spoke on the condition of anonymity on the leaked pictures of the alleged Shiv linga, said, "These all are baseless allegations. We don't know when Gyanvapi Mosque was built, what was its structure and whether the fountain (now claimed as Shivlinga) was built at that time or not. As a historian, we are guided by facts and evidence. One cannot deny the fact that Mandirs were demolished but the current polarized situation is leading us somewhere else."
"Ahilyabai Holkar, who was a Shiva Bhakt and a staunch nationalist, purchased land in the area of Gyanvapi and took permission to rebuild the temple from the then Nawab. The Badshah at that time agreed to construct a temple there. But at that time, a majority of the Brahmins were from Maharashtra and they said that this temple cannot be constructed here since a mosque already exists here. And that is why, after vacating the area, Kashi Vishwanath temple was constructed," the Professor added.
