A peaceful city has plunged into chaos after a controversial survey at the Shahi Jama Masjid. The lack of leadership and escalating violence highlight deep divisions, leaving the community in fear.
Mohammad Owais Sambhali
SAMBHAL is a historic city, and one of its most prominent landmarks is the Shahi Jama Masjid, which is currently making headlines in both national and international media. However, our purpose here is not to delve into the mosque’s history but to share a firsthand account of the situation that caused fear and tension in the city.
In this unsettling environment, we spent a few days in Sambhal and are sharing our observations. Over the past three to four days, many writers have extensively discussed Abdul Mueed Sambhali’s book Tareekh-e-Sambhal (History of Sambhal). Behind closed doors, people have criticised the government and issued statements condemning its incompetence. Newspapers found these insignificant statements worthy of publication, but sadly, none of them attempted to visit Sambhal to assess the situation firsthand.
Why would they? When the city’s social, religious, and political leadership was absent at such a critical time. Some were resting peacefully on soft mattresses, while others were waiting for Parliament to begin. When elections approach, countless people suddenly emerge, eager to become leaders. But when trouble strikes the city, all of them are nowhere to be found.
On the evening of 23rd November, when we reached Sambhal, the atmosphere was completely calm. Late into the night, we sat with friends discussing various topics. Not once did the topic of the survey of the Jama Masjid, conducted on 19th November, come up. Around 1 am, we returned home. Shortly after the Fajr prayer, I picked up my phone and saw a WhatsApp message: “The survey of the Jama Masjid has been ongoing since 6.30 am. Please pray and maintain peace.”
Government officials had informed the mosque committee members about the survey over the phone at around 11.30 pm the previous night. When the committee president, Zafar Ali Advocate, was asked to be present early in the morning, he mentioned his poor health and suggested scheduling the survey after 10 am. However, the survey team insisted on starting early, citing one of the officer’s family commitments.
News of the survey spread rapidly on social media, and the peaceful atmosphere quickly became tense. A large crowd began gathering around the mosque, filled with anger over the survey. The manner in which the survey team, led by the administration, entered the mosque with provocative slogans was highly inappropriate. However, it seemed to be part of a deliberate plan to provoke public emotions.
The protest was peaceful initially, but the crowd grew as time passed. People demanded that just as individuals from a particular community were allowed to enter the mosque with the survey team, members from their community should also be allowed in. The administration refused. Meanwhile, news spread that the survey team insisted on draining the mosque’s pond. This infuriated the crowd, as memories of the Gyanvapi Mosque survey surfaced.
This tension led to clashes between the administration and the public. The administration, seemingly waiting for such a moment, acted swiftly. The commanding officer took charge and ordered a baton charge to disperse the crowd. People ran in all directions but soon regrouped. Tear gas was then used, which further angered the people. In retaliation, they started throwing whatever they could find at the police.
The stone-pelting escalated the police’s aggression. Amid this chaos, a police officer, without proper authorisation, gave the order to fire live rounds, shouting, “Fire the bullets, fire them all!” This incident was reported by the Hindi newspaper Jansatta, and numerous videos of the event circulated widely. Several Members of Parliament shared these videos on their Twitter accounts, showing police firing during the stone-pelting.
The situation could have been brought under control without escalating to violence. However, when the intention is to disrupt peace and use force to intimidate Muslims under a planned strategy, preventing such outcomes becomes nearly impossible.
Some intellectuals believe that the public should have controlled their emotions during the incident, and the tragedy occurred because they failed to do so. However, my response to this is: if you were present at the scene and saw someone casting an evil eye on your mosque or attempting to take it away from you, would you be able to control your emotions?
You might argue that the law should have been allowed to take its course. But was the survey team operating within the boundaries of the law?
What was most noticeably lacking at the time was the presence of community, social, religious, and political leadership. There was no one to guide the people or prevent them from becoming agitated, and as a result, five young Muslim men paid the ultimate price with their lives.
This was the account of the events of 24th November, but what happened afterward? The tragedy took its toll on the public. The families of the young men who were martyred will eventually find solace with time — Allah is the Best Provider. However, the atmosphere of fear that engulfed the city after the incident is beyond description.
The area around the mosque has seen young men fleeing their homes. Police are entering houses day and night without permission. Whether elderly, young, children, or women, no one has been spared from being arrested. The entire neighbourhood has been vacated. Nearly 2,500 unnamed FIRs have been filed. Offences are being fabricated against people, and in such conditions, the police are arbitrarily arresting anyone they choose. Innocent individuals are being branded as guilty.
In our neighbourhood, we observed that after 10 pm, all house lights are turned off. People have even disconnected streetlight connections to ensure complete darkness. Police vehicles patrol the streets at night, blaring sirens to instill fear among the residents.
Whatever the court decides, the damage inflicted on Sambhal — both human and financial — will take time to heal. Time is the greatest healer, but it has another peculiar quality:
Waqt Har Zulm Tumhara Tumhain Lauta Dega,
Waqt Ke Paas Kahan Reham O Karam Hota Hai.
(Time will return every injustice of yours to you,
For time holds neither mercy nor kindness.)
The administration deteriorated the situation, opened fire, claimed the lives of five individuals, and attributed the tension entirely to the longstanding rivalry between the MLA and the MP. It is being portrayed as a clash between Turks and Pathans, whereas the unfortunate reality is that neither party is fully aware of their identity — if one is a Turk, the other is not a Pathan but an Ansari. Moreover, this so-called enmity no longer holds any truth. After the passing of Dr Shafiqur Rahman Burq, the rivalry, shaped by circumstances, transformed into reconciliation, to the extent that both parties distanced themselves from the public during this incident, despite being most needed.
There is also a grievance against those who, two days after the incident, were seen sipping tea with the administration under the guise of a peace committee. Yet, not one among them questioned the District Magistrate of Sambhal on the urgency behind the decision to open fire. These very individuals, who otherwise enjoy having crowds trailing them in ordinary times, confined themselves to their homes, offering prayers, when the people needed them the most.
Sambhal is in turmoil. For five days, all businesses were shut. While the financial loss has affected everyone, the loss of life has been borne solely by Muslims. In sha Allah, their sacrifice will not go in vain but will instead strengthen the resolve of the local community. A chain of condolences will begin, with many shedding crocodile tears and manipulating emotions. It is essential to stay cautious of such opportunists who were absent when it mattered the most.
A community that dares to sacrifice lives also possesses immense leadership potential. Even the mightiest superpowers bow before unwavering determination, and time can change swiftly.
On a positive note, the Supreme Court has put a stay on the survey of the Sambhal Jama Masjid. Sensing the Supreme Court’s stance, the survey team made excuses about their report being incomplete. Additionally, the Supreme Court reminded the Yogi Adityanath government of its Raj Dharma (duty of governance).
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Mohammad Owais Sambhali has authored several books including “Afsanavi Adab aur Hayatullah Ansari” and “Hafeez Naumani: Ek Ahd, Ek Tareekh“. Mohammad Alamullah of Clarion India translated this write-up from Urdu.