“We don’t want this to become a second Ayodhya,” said an ageing Nazar Mohammed squatting on a large chattai (matting) spread out in front of the wall of the mosque which is currently under construction.
Mohammed is making an obvious allusion to the Babri Masjid dispute which saw a sharp polarisation between the Hindu Muslim communities. “Here both communities have lived in harmony and some of the major contributions for the masjid have come from the Hindus in our village,” he said citing the example of Chanderpal, a former pradhan of the village who gave `11,000 for the construction of the mosque. Kadalpur has a 70 per cent Muslim and 30 per cent Hindu population.
Kadalpur is in the eye of the storm because of the suspension of sub-divisional magistrate Durga Shakti Nagpal, who personally arrived on July 27 to supervise the demolition of the wall of the mosque.
The question being asked across this village is why the district administration did not deem it appropriate to give them a prior notice before deciding to demolish it.
“When the villagers asked Durga Shakti to show them a copy of the demolition order, she is reported to have replied, ‘I give my own orders, I don’t take orders’,” claimed Osaf Ali, a local farmer. Ali added, “She arrived with a large contingent of PAC, an ambulance, a fire tender. Obviously, we were intimidated.” The mosque is being built on gram panchayat land without having received prior permission from the local administration. But a large majority of villagers claim that traditionally, “temples and mosques have been constructed on gram panchayat land after receiving approval from the local panchayat.” Sanjay Singh, a Jat farmer said, “Prayers were being held at the mosque for the last eighteen months. If the administration had a problem, they should have halted them then. Unfortunately, the whole issue has got twisted with our case being linked to the sand mafia,” Mr Singh said. Mohammed Shafique, husband of the present pradhan, said, “On July 28, a large group of villagers met district magistrate Ravi Kanth who told them they would need prior permission to construct a mosque.” These villagers point out that the real issues of being given a proper road and improved medical facilities have been brushed under political one-upmanship being followed by political parties.