Many times in India, we get to hear the news of Hindu-Muslim dispute, and these days temple-mosque disputes also make headlines. Sometimes the staunch people of the Hindu side say that there was a temple here earlier, sometimes people of Muslim society give their arguments. But in the meantime, if you are told that there is a village in Bihar where there is not a single Muslim, but a mosque is taken care of by some Hindu people, and Ajan is also given in that mosque, then you may be surprised to hear this.
Historical heritage of Magadh region
The area located near Patna, the capital of Bihar, which was once famous as Magadha, is still cherished by its historical heritage. There is no population of Muslims in some places in this area, but there are many old mosques present there, and there are Ajan given every day. These mosques are decades old and their pride is still intact.
Contribution of Hindu society
People here have come forward to take care of these mosques, especially daily wage laborers. These people repair and maintain mosques at their expense. Their only concern is to preserve the place of worship, and some of these people are also followers of Hinduism. Their hard work and dedication proves that the honor of humanity and cultural heritage is the most important above religion.
Ajay’s story
During a conversation with the BBC, Ajay, who is a laborer by profession, said, “We did all this work at our own expense. Initially it felt that something should be done for the mosque, because that place always seemed deserted. We were laborers, but still thought why not be involved in this noble work.” Ajay further said, “First we cured the floor of the mosque, then cleaned the forest and then painted on the walls of the mosque. We worked hard. When this work was done, it was thought that Allah’s house should always be illuminated, then we started burning in the evening. Then we started burning incense.”
Ajay said, “Ultimately, we realized that Azan should also be from the mosque, so we started getting loudspeakers and getting Azan from Pen Drive. We got satisfaction from this noble work, and we are happy that Allah gave us this opportunity.
Historical importance of mosques in Magadh region
There are many villages in Magadh area of Bihar where Muslims no longer live, but these villages still have old mosques. Some of these mosques have fallen victim to encroachment, some have fallen, while some have turned into ruins or there are locals keeping their animals. These mosques are witness to the fact that the population of Muslims here was very good. The Magadha area covers districts like Patna, Gaya, Nalanda, Nawada, Sheikhpura and Arwal. This is the same area where Magahi language is spoken.
Effect of history and politics
In 1946, when there were riots in Noakhali in Bangladesh, it also affected the Magadha region of Bihar. This riots also gave rise to major violence in Bihar, and it was from here that tension started increasing. At this time the politics of the Muslim League was not very strong in Bihar. In 1937, when provincial elections were held under the ‘Government of India Act’, the Muslim League got only two seats in Bihar. Subsequently, the conflict between the Congress and the Muslim League increased, after which Mohammad Yunus, the leader of the Muslim Independent Party, formed the government in Bihar. Historian Imtiaz Ahmed explains, “After the 1937 elections, when the Congress did not treat the Muslim League and Mohammad Yunus properly, there was resentment among the Muslims. Then Jinnah visited Bihar and strengthened the Muslim League.”
After this, polarization started increasing in Bihar, and the effect of Noakhali riots was seen in Bihar. According to Imtiaz Ahmed, “Bengal was our neighboring state, and there was already tension in Bihar. Also, there were many big landlords Muslims who wanted their rights over the land.” There were also large ethnic groups in Magadh area that wanted to capture these lands. Due to this, Muslims were targeted many times. After the riots in 1946, Muslim League leader Khwaja Nazimuddin came to Patna and announced, “Now we have achieved Pakistan.” These incidents give a significant twist to the riots of Magadha region.
