Historians slam suggestion to 'divide heritage'
Officials from the ASI questioned the expertise of the Waqf board in handling and maintaining heritage sites, and said that there is no provision to allow such a shift.
Historians across the board have taken umbrage to Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan's Taj Mahal suggestion, with a near unanimous opinion that the idea to hand over the property to the Sunni Waqf Board was nothing more than a cheap shot at publicity.
"Taj Mahal is a monument of national importance and it comes under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)," historian Nayanjot Lahiri told MAIL TODAY when asked about Khan's controversial proposal that has been endorsed by Darul Uloom.
"It is only a minority card being played by a minority minister. If you look at the history of Taj Mahal's restoration, the exercise was first carried out by kings and later the State. If the state is doing it right now, then it is correct. Such statements by politicians should not be taken seriously," he added.
Officials from the ASI questioned the expertise of the Waqf board in handling and maintaining heritage sites, and said that there is no provision to allow such a shift.
"All monuments of national importance and all the world heritage sites in the country are managed by the ASI," ASI additional director general B.R. Mani said. "Taj Mahal cannot be handed over to the Waqf board. These are heritage sites of great significance and (their handling) needs expertise, which the board doesn't have. They cannot take care of a heritage site of Taj Mahal's significance," he stated.
Noted historian D.N. Jha called for unanimous condemnation of such statements by politicians, saying they reeked of an attempt to redefine history for selfish purposes.
"What is the point of communalising everything? It is an unjustified demand. This trend of politicians using history to divide opinions is dangerous. Historians should combat this. All heritage monuments should remain with the ASI," he added.
The controversy over the ownership of Taj Mahal, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in his wife's memory in the 17th century and an epitome of timeless romance since, began on Tuesday with Azam Khan demanding that it be handed over the Waqf board.
He said it was only fair because Taj Mahal was the mausoleum of two Muslims, Shah Jahan and wife Mumtaz.
"Tombs (of Muslims) everywhere are under the Sunni Waqf Board. The Taj Mahal has the tombs of two Muslims," Khan had said. "Such a statement has no meaning and is only to earn cheap publicity," said historian Sohail Hashmi on Friday.
"Taj Mahal is not a shrine and there was no tradition of offering namaz there in earlier times. We cannot allow heritage to be divided into Hindu and Muslim heritage," he added.
Hashmi said that under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, all monuments of historical, archeological and architectural importance were the responsibility of the ASI, "except for places where prayers are conducted".