First, a businessman from the Hindu community opened his shop to Muslims who did not have space to offer Friday prayers in Gurugram. Now, a...
First, a businessman from the Hindu community opened his shop to Muslims who did not have space to offer Friday prayers in Gurugram. Now, a gurudwara has decided to provide its basement to them.
“We won’t be mute spectators to what has been happening,” said Sherdil Singh Sindhu, the president of the Sona Chowk gurudwara, built in 1934 and believed to be the oldest Sikh place of worship in the Haryana district adjoining Delhi.
Singh was referring to the events of the past three months, when Hindutva groups have repeatedly blocked Muslims from gathering for Friday namaz at public grounds that the local administration had allowed them to use.
The conflict began on September 17 when Hindu right-wing groups led by Dinesh Bharti, the founder of a local outfit called Bharat Mata Vahini, held up protest banners and shouted down Muslims who had gathered to pray in Sector 47. Over the next few weeks, the agitation spread to Sector 12 and other areas.
On October 26, members of the Sanyukt Hindu Sangharsh Samiti, a consortium of 22 right-wing groups, submitted an application to the Gurugram Deputy Commissioner, asking the administration to stop all reading of namaz in public spaces.
A week later, they organised a Govardhan puja...
