AS Prime Minister Modi leads the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya this month — built on the rubble of the Babri masjid upon the supreme court’s directives — another landmark mosque in the sights of the old parliament house is gasping for the luck of the turkey at the White House. A solitary bird is traditionally spared the knife on Thanksgiving Day, a symbol of the US president’s generosity.

The Sunehri Bagh mosque has enjoyed the status of a heritage monument of Delhi, but the city municipality has proposed to raze it to ease traffic on the road frequented by VIPs. Historic mosques in Varanasi and Mathura, on the other hand, are facing the fate that befell the Babri masjid.

Among the Sunehri Bagh mosque’s historic claims is the fact that Maulana Hasrat Mohani slept and prayed there when attending the constituent assembly. The maulana wouldn’t take money for his stay even from the Communist Party of which he was member as he went on political errands often riding pillion on a comrade’s bicycle. With this mosque in the crosshairs of a right-wing government, this New Year column hopes to offer a handy fact sheet on a truer India to celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli who have been invited to the inauguration in Ayodhya.

Communist Party chief Sitaram Yechury has turned down the invitation, saying he wouldn’t want to be a part of any political exploitation of religion. Sonia Gandhi is also invited, reports say, but she too would likely forgo the visit on........

© Dawn