The tomb was b uilt on land claimed by the Irrigation Department. However caretaker’s account raises eyebrows as locals question government’s actions.
Team Clarion
HARIDWAR — A bulldozer rolled through Suman Nagar in Haridwar today, reducing the tomb of Roshan Ali Shah Baba to rubble. The demolition, carried out by the district administration, is the latest in the Uttarakhand government’s campaign against what it calls illegal mosques, madrasas, and tombs. But the move has left locals divided, with the tomb’s caretaker shedding new light on its history.
The structure, spanning 10×15 metres, sat on land claimed by the Irrigation Department. When the bulldozer finished its work, officials noted that no one stepped up to claim ownership or show any legal papers. “The mazar was on Irrigation Department land,” an official said. Curiously, once the tomb was gone, no foundation or human remains turned up — just a handful of bricks and some one-rupee coins under a big fig tree where it once stood.
Aftab, the current caretaker, spoke about the tomb’s past. “My father used to come here and do Chirag Patti,” he said, describing the ritual of lighting lamps. “Before him, it was Akhtar Hussain Azad who put up a lamppost at the mazar. Then his son, Inam Vakil Hussain, took over. Now it’s me.” Despite his family’s long connection to the site, Aftab had no documents to back up its existence.
The lack of remains or a proper base has stirred up talk among some locals, with a few pointing fingers at what they call “land jihad” — a claim of religious encroachment on public land. But nothing solid has come up to prove it.
People in the area had plenty to say. “The government shouldn’t pick and Dudchoose like this,” said Mohammad Asif, a Muslim resident. “We’d give our lives for this country, but fairness has to come first.” Another local, who didn’t want his name used, shrugged it off. “They can do what they want—we’ve got no say. Only God decides who stays or goes.” On the flip side, Ramesh Kumar, a nearby shopkeeper, backed the move. “This isn’t about faith—it’s about the law. If the land’s not yours, you can’t build on it.”
Under Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Uttarakhand has been cracking down hard. Reports say more than 550 tombs, plus a slew of mosques and madrasas, have been torn down across the state in recent months. “We’re clearing out anything built without permission, no matter what it is,” a government spokesperson said earlier this week.
