Image Source: Hindustan Times
The Sanjauli Mosque is currently embroiled in a continuous legal and social dispute that has escalated significantly in recent times.
The Shimla Municipal Corporation (CP) is set to begin the demolition of the top three floors of the Sanjauli Mosque, after being ordered by Shimla MC court and getting a wag from the waqf board. The decision was handed down on October 5, 2024, by a Municipal Commissioner Bhupender Kumar Attri, who confirmed that these floors are illegal and they were constructed without proper authorization. Shimla MC court had ordered on October 5 to demolish the top three unauthorized floors of the mosque.
Mohammed Latif, the president of the Sanjauli Mosque committee said, we asked for permission from the Himachal Pradesh Waqf Board, as the mosque is located on Waqf Board land. We received the permission today and the laborers have been hired to remove the building’s tin roof and bay, and marking the initial phase of the demolition.
Mohammad Latif raised concerns about the timeline of demolition and suggested that the entire process could take two to three or four months due to financial constraints. And the Muslim traders are collecting funds to help over the demolition of the mosque.
Developments in the Sanjauli Mosque Dispute
The mosque’s construction has been at the center of controversy, with tensions rising in recent months. Protests led by local Hindu organizations and residents escalated on September 11, 2024, demanding the demolition of the unauthorized floors. During the protests, which turned violent, at least 10 people, including six police officers and four protesters, were injured when police resorted to baton charges and water cannons after demonstrators breached barricades near the mosque. Protests spread to other areas of Himachal Pradesh in the aftermath. The mosque dispute has been ongoing for at least 14 years, with frustration mounting after an attack on a businessman allegedly by some Muslim men.
Image Source: The Indian Express
In the wake of these developments, the Himachal Pradesh High Court intervened, directing the Shimla Municipal Corporation to resolve the 14-year-old case concerning the mosque’s unauthorized construction within eight weeks. This case was initially brought to the court’s attention in 2010, the mosque has been under review following since 2010 with several hearings of the court complaints from local residents of Sanjauli, but there was not a single ultimate action.
A further hearing is scheduled for December 21, 2024, to address any remaining legal issues tied to the mosque.
Government initiatives and the historical context of the Sanjauli Mosque
The mosque was originally built in 1907, at that time it was a two-storey building after 2007 three more floors were added. But the mosque work is not hidden to anyone. This illegal construction is part of broader town planning failure that goes beyond religious boundaries. Shimla’s issues of illegal construction and bad urban planning are not new. The Town andCountry Planning Act of 1977, it was the first law that formalized urban planning in the state. The Interim Shimla Development Plan was introduced in 1979 and it was supposed to regulate the capital city until 2001 but it has continued for 44 years.
Over the years, the successful state government and their municipal corporation failed to finalize the Shimla Development Plan, conveniently ignoring violations and favouring extensive construction and development projects.
