THE protracted tug of war between the caretakers of the 13th century Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti once again came to the fore during the recent visit of Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari.
This must be seen in the context of the politico- religious character the shrine has assumed over the past centuries. Political leaders, beginning with Mughal Emperor Akbar, have patronised this shrine. Politicians, businessmen, celebrities and common devotees — Muslims as well as Hindus — flock to the shrine every year, especially during the annual Urs, making huge donations. But where there is wealth, there is bound to be conflict.
The shrine’s Dewan, Syed Zainul Abedin, who is also the Sajjada Nashin ( successor to the Chishti order), boycotted Zardari’s visit as the district administration didn’t accept his “ right” to accompany the President. He maintained that like his ancestors, he had always accompanied VIP visitors as he was the shrine’s religious head. Ajmer collector Manju Rajpal asserted that in order to avoid any commotion during Zardari’s visit, the police advised that the Dewan should not be allowed beyond the main gate.
This decision was welcomed by the shrine’s Khadims ( hereditary priests). The Dewan had also boycotted the visit of President Pratibha Patil on September 19, 2011 for the same reason.
When Pervez Musharraf, then President of Pakistan, visited the shrine in 2005, an unsavoury battle between Syed Zainul Abedin and the Khadims took place. The bone of contention was who should get the credit for inviting Musharraf and the chance to welcome him. The Khadims had challenged the Dewan’s decision to invite Musharraf. Ultimately, the Dargah Committee, appointed by the Union government under the Dargah Khwaja Sahib Act, 1956, prevailed upon the two sides and Musharraf’s itinerary was finalised.
Yet another ugly scene took place after the terror attack of October 11, 2007. It was the holy month of Ramzan and people had just broken their fast when the shrine was shaken by a bomb blast, which claimed three lives and injured 15.
The Khadims alleged that the Dewan who was at his house, which is at a stone’s throw distance, didn’t rush to the spot immediately.
And when he did reach, after about an hour or so, he is said to have accused the Khadims of orchestrating the blast to kill him. Furthermore, he accused them of stealing ` 50,000 that he had been carrying. Infuriated at the mindless allegations, some of the Khadims thrashed him.
The Dewan, who appears to enjoy a limited following, and the Khadims have been fighting a prolonged battle in various courts, including the Supreme Court, over their status as well as over a decree passed in the then British ruled Ajmer- Merwara State in 1933, ordering that all offerings be divided equally between them. A receiver of offerings was appointed in 1998. But this has been contested by the Khadims in a case that is pending before the Ajmer metropolitan court.
The conflict over revenue apparently spilled over to the much publicised visit of Zardari who announced a donation of $ 1 million ( about ` 5 crore), the largest ever by a head of state.
Any high profile visit like that of President Zardari sparks off a tussle between the various factions that govern the Dargah