The 46th World Heritage Committee meeting was held in India from July 21-31, 2024. The event’s webpage proudly displays the Taj Mahal, an iconic symbol of India’s past. However, this celebration of Mughal architectural grandeur starkly contrasts with the ongoing systematic erasure of Muslim heritage in the country. The demolition of the Babri Mosque in 1992 marked a significant turning point in this troubling trend.
On December 6, 1992, the Babri Mosque, built by Mughal ruler Babur in 1527, was destroyed by Hindu Kar Sevaks affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This act, led by L.K. Advani, then a prominent BJP figure, brought into question the identity and place of Muslims in India. I witnessed the aftermath firsthand, arriving in New Delhi shortly after the demolition. The experience underscored a seismic shift in the nation’s treatment of its Muslim population, who have been integral to India’s history for nearly a millennium.
In the years following the Babri Mosque’s destruction, numerous other Muslim heritage sites, including mosques, Sufi shrines, libraries, and community spaces, have faced similar fates. This deliberate destruction is part of a broader campaign to sever the historical ties of Indian Muslims to their homeland. The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (1954) mandates the protection of heritage during war. However, the destruction of Muslim heritage during peacetime in India raises critical questions for the 46th World Heritage Committee meeting.
The list of destroyed Muslim sites is extensive. In Gujarat, during the 2002 Godhra genocide, 230 unique buildings were demolished, including a 400-year-old mosque and the tomb of Sufi Vali Gujarati. In Delhi, numerous mosques and tombs have been razed, including the millennium-old Sufi shrine of Baba Haji Rozbih and the 700-year-old Akhondji Mosque. Recently, the Shahi Masjid in Prayagraj and a 300-year-old mosque in Muzaffarnagar were demolished under the guise of road-widening projects.
The renaming of places with Islamic origins, such as Allahabad to Prayagraj and Faizabad to Ayodhya, further attempts to erase the Muslim past. The BJP’s agenda extends to iconic structures like the Qutb Minar and the Taj Mahal, which they propose to rebrand as Hindu monuments. This cultural cleansing, coupled with violent attacks on Muslim communities, underscores a concerted effort to undermine the historical presence and contributions of Muslims in India.
Preserving Muslim heritage in India is a human rights issue linked to freedom of expression, thought, conscience, and religion. The international leaders at the 46th World Heritage Committee meeting in Delhi have a crucial role to play in halting this violence. For Indian Muslims, India is their home; their history and contributions are integral to the nation’s fabric.
Cultural heritage is more than just buildings; it encompasses the stories, values, and aspirations of a society. The destruction of Muslim heritage severs historical knowledge and continuity, a strategic act of ‘culturecide’ that dislocates the Muslim community’s sense of belonging. The 46th World Heritage Committee meeting must address these issues and recognize the significance of protecting Muslim heritage as a means of safeguarding India’s pluralistic history.
Yasmin Saikia is a professor of South Asian History and Peace Studies at Arizona State University. Her latest books include On Othering: The Processes and Politics of Unpeace (Athabasca University Press: 2024) and Cambridge Companion to Sayyid Ahmad Khan (Cambridge University Press: 2019).
(Extract from Maktoob Media)
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