Apathy ails Ashoorkhanas

There are 11,000 registered with the Wakf Board Ashoorkhanas in the state and for the last two months, the organisation has been requesting for a sanction of Rs 5 crore for the maintenance of these buildings.

Most of them are in a dilapidated condition because the funds that are sanctioned for repairs are either too late or come during Muharram when no work can actually be done.

Mir Hadi Ali, the president of the All-India Shia Organisation said, “Since the last five years, the meeting of district collectors, commissioner and principal secretary is held on third day of Muharram and only after that funds and budgets are released.

By this time, the Ashoorkhanas are packed with women, children and men who come for the alam and maatam. At that time, how can whitewashing or minor repair works be carried out?”

For the last two months, AISO is trying to fix a meeting with the authorities so that some work can be carried out before Muharram, but there has been no response so far.

Fed up, the community members have pooled in resources to clean, whitewash and also carry out minor repairs before the beginning of Muharram.

But the major repairs at ashoorkhana are a big problem. The Immam-bada Ashoorkhana has broken fans, garbage and is filled with dust. Mir Firasath Ali Baqri, an AISO member said, “This Ashoorkhana was spread over 33 acres, but has been encroached on and less than half an acre of land is left.

There is no compound wall, no water, no toilets and it has a garbage bin placed right outside. Since 24 years, continuous representations have been made to the Wakf Board to protect the land but no initiative has been taken.”

Similarly, a part of the ceiling of Hussaini Alam, which was built in 1738, has collapsed on the right side where the alams are kept.

Syed Shah Moinullah Hussaini, the chief muta-valli of the place, said, “Every year the offerings by the devotees are taken by the Wakf Board but not a penny is spent on the restoration. I have been giving representations since 2000 for funds, but no actual work is taking place.”

Among the 11,000 Ashoorkhanas, a hue and cry is raised about the maintenance of the ones in the city, but in the districts most of them lie neglected and in a dilapidated condition.

Mirza Mehdi Hussain, vice-president of All-India Shia Organisa-tion, said, “In the districts, people are now becoming aware hence they are raising their voice if the land around the Ashoorkhanas is misused.

But there are so many which do not have proper lights, fans, walkways and the buildings are wearing out and there is no one to take care.”

Those which are under mutavallis are supposed to be taken care of, but most of the time there are not enough funds. Those who want to help have to follow the procedure of the Wakf Board, and it is only under its guidance that the works can be carried out. In a similar manner, a project in the old city has been taken up by a private organisation for restoring extremely old buildings.

Mir Hadi Ali says, “We want attention to be paid to those that are about to collapse. For that reason we have been appealing to the government that funds must be given to Wakf Board Ashoorkhanas and not the Nizam Trust Ashoorkhanas as they are already being looked after.”

But for the huge congregation that gathers every year, it is the need for strong structure and also minimum facilities that matter. Several efforts to contact Wakf Board Special Officer Mohammed J. Akbar failed.