Post by vij on Oct 11, 2011 19:18:01 GMT 5.5
Tughlakabad area is Gurjar dominated and it was surprising how the Jat became an MP from South Delhi but not the Gurjar. This was due to foolishness of Karan Singh Tanwar of BSP and only because of him Ramesh Bidhuri of BJP got defeted. Tughlakabad village has minimum 50,000 Gurjars.
Overall South Delhi has 15 % Gurjar and only 2 % Jat.
Next time Gurjar should have a MP from South Delhi or East Delhi at all costs so as to have some say in Delhi politics.
The Supreme Court recently gave the go-ahead to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to demolish the constructions within the Tuglaqabad fort, stirring the hornet’s nest once again. Politicians of different hues are now queuing up at the doors of the powers that be to save the 700-year-old village. The ASI, with due apologies to the Supreme Court, is unnecessarily trumpeting the case which has a divine backing.
Some point out that the dispute between the ASI and the village doesn’t really relate to the 700 old constructions, but those that have come up in the last quarter of the
century, which has witnessed unprecedented unauthorised colonisation across the national Capital. The leaders are harping on the point that when the notices were issued by ASI in 2003 to the villagers at that time at Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s intervention, then Union Urban Development Minister made a statement in Parliament assuring that all the built-up structures as per aerial survey of 1993 would not be disturbed.
The villagers point out that fresh constructions have been due to natural growth and the Delhi Government and Union Government have been regularising extended abadi (populated) areas of the other villages “and providing amenities and undertaking development works in such villages.” The growth, however, has not been natural but extraordinary due to migration boom in the Capital post-1980s. Nearly 50 per cent of constructions in the village under notice belong to the migrants, sold to them illegally by the original inhabitants — the Gujjar landlords.
It would be interesting to note how the Gujjars came to occupy the fort belonging to the Tuglaq Sultans. Ghazi Malik, the slave turned noble in the court of Khiljis, had advised the Sultan of the necessity of building a fort on the hillock towards south of Siri, where Khiljis had their citadel. His proposal was turned down and he was told that he may build one if he ever became a Sultan.
Ghazi Malik did ascend the throne of Delhi as ruler under the name of Ghias-ud-din Tuglaq and immediately took to the building of the fort in 1321, which was completed in 1325. The fort could be built at this great speed because all the mason, artisans and labourers in and around Delhi were deployed in the construction of the magnificent fort.
This angered the contemporary Sufi saint, Nizamuddin Aulia, whose khanaqah (hospice) was at a little distance from the site of the fort. It is said that Aulia was building a baoli (well) at the same time and his work could not progress due to the construction of the fort by the Sultan. The sufi saint made a plea to the Sultan to spare some workmen for his baoli which was declined. On this, Aulia is said to have given two curses to Ghias-ud-din Tughlaq: Ya rahey usar, Ya bassey Gujjar (the fort either remains unoccupied or herdsmen would built their tenements here) and Hunuz Dilli Door Ast (Delhi is still far away).
Both the prophecies of the holy man came true. On his return from an expedition in Bengal, Tuglaq was scheduled to make the ceremonial entry into the fort. This was to mark the inauguration of the new Capital of the Sultanate of Delhi. Before the victorious Sultan could enter the fort, the roof of the reception pavilion came crashing down, crushing him to death. It is said it was part of a conspiracy hatched by his son who later ascended the throne as Mohammed Bin Tuglaq.
The fort, after the tragic death of its builder, never got occupied and was finally abandoned by the rulers in 1327. While Mohammed Bin Tuglaq tried several experiments, including the unsuccessful shifting the Capital and its population to Deccan, a later Tuglaq — Feroze Shah built another city near the Yamuna. This citadel came to be known as Kotla Feroze Shah and today houses the famous cricket stadium.
Following the abandonment, a settlement of the Gujjar herdsmen, as per the prophecy, came up within the precincts of the fort, which later came to be identified as Tuglakabad village in the revenue records. After the formation of the ASI, the fort was declared a protected monument. However, over the years, the villagers encroached upon the land of the fort beyond the limit of the village building houses and selling plots. Due to political exigencies, the leadership and the Government of the day has always preferred to look the other way.
However, the moment of denouement has arrived once again. The Government has to decide between protecting a monument which was abandoned 700 years ago or protect the life and property of people who live there. It’s not going to be an easy decision to make.
Overall South Delhi has 15 % Gurjar and only 2 % Jat.
Next time Gurjar should have a MP from South Delhi or East Delhi at all costs so as to have some say in Delhi politics.
The Supreme Court recently gave the go-ahead to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to demolish the constructions within the Tuglaqabad fort, stirring the hornet’s nest once again. Politicians of different hues are now queuing up at the doors of the powers that be to save the 700-year-old village. The ASI, with due apologies to the Supreme Court, is unnecessarily trumpeting the case which has a divine backing.
Some point out that the dispute between the ASI and the village doesn’t really relate to the 700 old constructions, but those that have come up in the last quarter of the
century, which has witnessed unprecedented unauthorised colonisation across the national Capital. The leaders are harping on the point that when the notices were issued by ASI in 2003 to the villagers at that time at Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s intervention, then Union Urban Development Minister made a statement in Parliament assuring that all the built-up structures as per aerial survey of 1993 would not be disturbed.
The villagers point out that fresh constructions have been due to natural growth and the Delhi Government and Union Government have been regularising extended abadi (populated) areas of the other villages “and providing amenities and undertaking development works in such villages.” The growth, however, has not been natural but extraordinary due to migration boom in the Capital post-1980s. Nearly 50 per cent of constructions in the village under notice belong to the migrants, sold to them illegally by the original inhabitants — the Gujjar landlords.
It would be interesting to note how the Gujjars came to occupy the fort belonging to the Tuglaq Sultans. Ghazi Malik, the slave turned noble in the court of Khiljis, had advised the Sultan of the necessity of building a fort on the hillock towards south of Siri, where Khiljis had their citadel. His proposal was turned down and he was told that he may build one if he ever became a Sultan.
Ghazi Malik did ascend the throne of Delhi as ruler under the name of Ghias-ud-din Tuglaq and immediately took to the building of the fort in 1321, which was completed in 1325. The fort could be built at this great speed because all the mason, artisans and labourers in and around Delhi were deployed in the construction of the magnificent fort.
This angered the contemporary Sufi saint, Nizamuddin Aulia, whose khanaqah (hospice) was at a little distance from the site of the fort. It is said that Aulia was building a baoli (well) at the same time and his work could not progress due to the construction of the fort by the Sultan. The sufi saint made a plea to the Sultan to spare some workmen for his baoli which was declined. On this, Aulia is said to have given two curses to Ghias-ud-din Tughlaq: Ya rahey usar, Ya bassey Gujjar (the fort either remains unoccupied or herdsmen would built their tenements here) and Hunuz Dilli Door Ast (Delhi is still far away).
Both the prophecies of the holy man came true. On his return from an expedition in Bengal, Tuglaq was scheduled to make the ceremonial entry into the fort. This was to mark the inauguration of the new Capital of the Sultanate of Delhi. Before the victorious Sultan could enter the fort, the roof of the reception pavilion came crashing down, crushing him to death. It is said it was part of a conspiracy hatched by his son who later ascended the throne as Mohammed Bin Tuglaq.
The fort, after the tragic death of its builder, never got occupied and was finally abandoned by the rulers in 1327. While Mohammed Bin Tuglaq tried several experiments, including the unsuccessful shifting the Capital and its population to Deccan, a later Tuglaq — Feroze Shah built another city near the Yamuna. This citadel came to be known as Kotla Feroze Shah and today houses the famous cricket stadium.
Following the abandonment, a settlement of the Gujjar herdsmen, as per the prophecy, came up within the precincts of the fort, which later came to be identified as Tuglakabad village in the revenue records. After the formation of the ASI, the fort was declared a protected monument. However, over the years, the villagers encroached upon the land of the fort beyond the limit of the village building houses and selling plots. Due to political exigencies, the leadership and the Government of the day has always preferred to look the other way.
However, the moment of denouement has arrived once again. The Government has to decide between protecting a monument which was abandoned 700 years ago or protect the life and property of people who live there. It’s not going to be an easy decision to make.