‘ Mazar Jehad’ campaign reaches the prestigious ‘The Doon School’

‘ Mazar Jehad’ campaign reaches the prestigious ‘The Doon School’
S.M.A.KAZMI
Dehradun , Nov 16
The campaign against ‘Mazar Jehad’ started by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushka Singh Dhami has now reached the famous residential school-‘The Doon School’ where an old ‘Mazar’ within the boundary of the school premises was demolished on the reported insistence of a ‘Hindutva’ group led Radha Dhoni, a prominent hate monger in the capital city. A ‘mazar’ is a grave of a revered Muslim saint.
The controversy came to light when Radha Dhoni of ‘Sanatan Sanstha’ who has been in the forefront of targeting poor Muslim rehriwalas and shopkeepers in the city shared a video in which she charged that a new ‘mazar’ is being erected within the boundary wall of the school. It was reportedly alleged that her supporters went into the school and demolished the ‘Mazar’. However, there was no clarity on who and how the ‘mazar’ within the boundary of the school was demolished.
The school authorities kept silent and did not register any complaint with the police. A video of a group of four to five men demolishing the ‘Mazar’ had gone viral on social media. Savin Bansal, District Magistrate, Dehradun in a statement given to the ‘The Times of India’ said that the incident happened on November 13 and order of the demolition were not issued by the administration. However, he claimed that an administrative team was ent to verify the facts related to the ‘Mazar’ and unsure that law and order was maintained. He said that he has sought a report on the matter.

The Mazar being demolished within The Doon School boundary wall.
While, none in Dehradun knew about who demolished the ‘Mazar’ after entering the school premises which is well protected since children of influential politician and people study in the residential school, there was concerned expressed about security of the school.
To reassure the parents, the school Headmaster Dr. Jagpreet Singh wrote the following letter:- “It has come to our notice that certain sections of the media are carrying reports about a breach in the School Campus and demolition of a structure within the premises of the School.
These reports are inaccurate and misleading. As you are aware, the School boundary wall along the Chakrata road is being re-built by the Public Works Department (PWD) due to an ongoing road expansion work by the state government. The said work is being carried out by a contractor employed by the PWD.
We would like to clarify that the contractor, out of his own volition, and without any permission from the School or the PWD, erected an unauthorised structure and the same was immediately removed after intervention of the State’s local administration. On bringing the attention of the PWD to the said matter, they have promptly intervened and even sent a written apology to the School.
The School Management was well aware and was working closely with the authorities regarding the same. Please be rest assured that there has been no breach of our security and the campus continues to be a safe place for all our residents.
The safety and welfare of our students and staff continues to be our top priority. The Schools routine is continuing as per schedule and our students are currently in the midst of their Trials. There is also the excitement of the term end events and winter vacations approaching shortly. Till we communicate with you again, we wish you the very best.”

The old ‘mazar’ within the boundary wall of The Doon School.
Interestingly, the school Headmaster pedalled the narrative of the Hindutva forces stating that “the PWD contractor, out of his own volition, and without any permission from the school or the PWD, erected an unauthorised structure and the same was immediately removed after intervention of the State’s local administration. On bringing the attention of the PWD to the said matter, they have promptly intervened and even sent a written apology to the School.”
The question arose that why PWD department which is government agency erect a new ‘Mazar’ within the boundary wall of the school. The government agency which is infamous for not laying even a single brick without long bureaucratic functioning was erecting a ‘Mazar’. It is more suspicious since the Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had launched a campaign against alleged ‘Mazar jehad’ by demolishing more than four hundred such ‘Mazars’, some centuries old, throughout the length and breadth of the state claiming them to be illegal as part of targeting of minority Muslim community.
Old timers recall that an old ‘mazar’ existed behind the police post which has now been targeted and demolished . A Press Trust of India (PTI) reported quoting an unnamed Uttarakhand Waqf Board official said that the part of the school on which the ‘mazar’ stood used to be their property at one time. “According to our records, 57 acres of land in the said area belonged to us but its current status is not known,” a Waqf Board official said on condition of anonymity,” the PTI report said. The Waqf Board still owns a large portion of land adjacent to the school, he further said.
Another Hindu outfit leader Darshan Bharti who has been in the forefront against Muslims mosques and Mazars and was involved in hate speeches across the state including one at Haridwar Mahapanchayat in 2022, more recently at Uttarkashi and Kedarnath openly advocating violence against Muslims said he had met Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and the authorities here recently requesting them to demolish the mazar within the boundary of the school.
“Whoever may have done it, I welcome the demolition. Why should there be a ‘mazar’ within a school? That too inside the walls of a prestigious school like The Doon School… It shows the extent of land jihad in the state,” Bharti, who is the founder of Uttarakhand Raksha Abhiyan, quoted PTI.
Interestingly ,Dharshan Bharati and Radha Dhoni, have several cases against them but were seen sharing dias with Chief Minister Dhami during the visit of Hindu preacher Baba Bageshwar during his visit to parade ground , Dehradun in November 2023.
The Doon School which has among its alumni several celebrities and political leaders including former Prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, his brother Sanjay Gandhi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, his son, former ministers Karan Singh, Amarinder Singh, Kamal Nath, Mani Shanker Aiyyar ,RPN Singh and Naveen Patnaik besides celebrated authors like Amitav Ghosh and Vikram Seth. Nowdays, children of several ruling BJP party leaders are also studying in the school.

.