Gujarat: Why Pirana's Muslims Protested Against a Wall Around Imamshah Dargah?

'Attempt To Change Identity of 500-Yr-Old Dargah': Muslim Residents of Gujarat Village Protest

Angered by the construction of the wall around the dargah, hundreds of Saiyed Muslims of Pirana left their homes and began a protest march towards the collector's office.

(Image: The Quint; Designed by Deeksha Malhotra)

Video Producer: Naman Shah

Video Editor: Abhishek Sharma

Senior Editor: Somya Lakhani

On 30 January 2022, a viral video, showing hundreds of people walking, claimed that Muslim residents of a Gujarat village are migrating out of the village owing to the harassment by Hindu right-wing goons. These claims were, however, immediately refuted by the residents.

The Quint reached Pirana village, 20 km from Ahmedabad, where the incident happened, to understand what the actual issue is.

The issue stems from the brewing tussle between members of the local shrine's Trust. The Imamshah Bawa Sanstha Trust is the custodian of the 500-year-old dargah of Pir Imamshah Bawa, as well as a mosque, a tomb of the Pir and a graveyard, on the premises.

Pir Imamshah Bawa was a Satpanth preacher in the 14th-15th century, who is buried in Pirana, a village whose entire population is Satpanthi -- both Muslims and Hindus.

The Trust was formed in 1939 to administer the dargah of Imamshah Bawa. Out of the 10 trustees, seven are Satpanthis, the followers of Imamshah Bawa, and three trustees are Saiyed Sadats, who are considered to be the descendants of the Imamshah Bawa. "The Trust was cordially functioning till a few years ago. Later, the ideologies of the Satpanthi trustees, who are in a majority, began to change."

Shadab Saiyed, Spokesperson, Saiyed Sadat Community

The Trust passed a resolution to erect a wall around the dargah. The resolution was supported by the majority of seven Satpanthi trustees, while the Saiyed trustees opposed the construction.

In the last few years, the Satpanthi trustees have started to ignore us Saiyed trustees in the meetings. The agenda to replace wire fence with a wall was brought without notice and passed with their majority.

Saiyed Nadeem Ahmed, Trustee from Saiyed Community

The Satpanthi trustees, however, maintained that the Trust had always been functioning through the majority vote.

The work is being undertaken with approval of majority trustees and with permission from the collector. It is being done in accordance with law and to ensure security of people. All accusations by (three) other trustees are baseless.

Harshad Patel, Trustee from Satpanthi Community To The Indian Express

'Changing Nature Of The Shrine'

The current construction of the wall isn't the sole cause of this unrest. The Saiyeds allege that there have been gradual attempts to change the identity of the shrine.

Before 2003, the name of the trust on the gate was written as 'Imamshah Bawa Roza Sanstha Trust'. In fact, that name still remains in the official government records. But they removed 'Roza' from it and the name on the gate was changed to 'Imamshah Bawa Sanstha Trust'. Now they have altogether removed the name from all the places in the premises.

Nakib Saiyed, Resident, Pirana

Residents credit this transition to the rising value of the property of the Trust.

"The Trust was run smoothly by the older generation. As the income and the funds of the trust grew over the years, the newer generation got concerned that all the activities of the prosperous Trust is labelled under a Muslim name. They want to convert it," claimed resident Saiyed Parveen.

Was There An Exodus?

Angered by the construction of the wall around the dargah, hundreds of Saiyed Muslims of Pirana left their homes and began a protest march towards the collector's office.

We were told that the construction was approved by the collector, so we left to meet the collector. But we were detained midway.

Saiyed Midhat Fatima, Resident, Pirana

133 protesters, including 64 women, were detained by the police and taken to different police stations. The protesters were released within a few hours, and later, police force was deployed in Pirana.

Villagers hope that the dargah remains in its older form and communal tensions are avoided.

I have been seeing this dargah since my childhood and we are fine with it. We have been living here in communal harmony and don't want any tension.

Varsha, Resident, Pirana