There is no parallel of Taj Mahal, the superb monumental white marble structure in the world. It was built during the reign of Shahajahan, the great Moughal emperor. The Badsaha dedicated Taj Mahal in the fond memory of his beloved queen Mamtaj Begam.
Taj Mahal, although a ‘Samadhi Sthala’, is considered as the epitome of love dedicated to the mankind. Significantly, after the Moughals rule, Britishers came, who ruled till India achieved independence in 1947. During British regime and when Congress came to power after the British Raj, they have never had an accusing finger towards the Moughal emperors.
On the contrary, the Government of India and Indians preserved and protected the monuments built by great Moughals.
Amongst many monuments like tombs, minars, forts built by the Moughal emperors, Taj Mahal stands supreme whose architectural designs are par excellence and history would bear testimony to this. Taj Mahal was built in seventeenth century but the flux of time has not tainted this marvelous white marble structure.
After 400 years, it is amazing that some BJP legislators like Sangeet Som and Binoy Katiyar and Chief Minister of Utter Pradesh Jogi Adityanath have given irresponsible, undignified and derogatory remarks about Taj Mahal that it was built by the Moughal emperors by the sweat, blood and tears of the Indians.
They have accused the erstwhile Moughal rulers as anti Indian as ‘Prataraka’. They have said that Taj Mahal is not part of Indian history and if possible, their party would not give Taj Mahal its place in the history of India. BJP MP Katiyar went to the extent of telling that Taj Mahal was a Hindu temple which was demolished by the Moughals who built over it a ‘Samadhi’. They have accused the Moughal emperors of prosecuting Hindus and driving them out of the country during their regime.
It is worthwhile to mention the derogatory remarks of Jogi Adityanath denigrating Taj Mahal was strongly resented by the intelligentsia when it came to the public domain. The Chief Minister shortly after changed his version and gave Press statement to have sanctioned Rs 370 crore for the developmental work and preservation of the Taj Mahal.
Adityanath said that there is no doubt that Taj Mahal is a famous historical monument which has attracted the tourists from different parts of the world.
However, it is unfortunate that in the tourism calendar of the current year of UP Government, Taj Mahal surprisingly does not find place. Knowing about public reaction, in the tourism calendar of the Government for the year 2018, Taj Mahal has been placed. It is worthwhile to note even though the BJP leaders gave comments on Taj, it is not understood where from the history, they collected such data that Taj Mahal was built by the tear and sweat of laborers of India.
To counter this contention, it can be well said that the reign of Sahajahan was reckoned as the ‘golden age’ in the history. Needless to mention that for any construction, designs and sculptures, the labourers and artisans have to put in their sweat and blood but they are always compensated and richly rewarded. History would reveal that during the Moughals, they have built tombs, minars and forts like lal Killa, Agra, and Fatepur-Sikree, Qutab Minar, Juma Maszid, Tom of Humayun, Bibi ki Makabara of Aurangabad etc. For these constructions, the artisans engaged were paid gold and silver coins and lands as gifts by the great Moughal emperors.
Therefore, the comments of BJP leaders about Taj Mahal are uncalled for and history will not excuse them.
The comments are absurd and born out of political quibbles. This would speak in volume about the narrow nationalism and jingoistic outlook of such political leaders.
Taj Mahal being the unparalleled historical monument including other monuments have been preserved and protected under the provisions of Ancient Monument Preservation Act-1904 and Ancient Monument and Archaeological Site Remains Act-1958.
That is squarely the reason as to why after the Congress came to power after independence, with due deference to the great Moughal emperors and erstwhile Raja and Maharaja of India, they have named the public places and roads in Delhi, the capital of India like Sahajahan Road, Akber Road, Mansingh Road, Bahadur Saha Jafer Marg etc.
Significantly, Akbar was a benevolent emperor who married Rajput lady Jodhabai and employed her brother Mansingh as his army chief. That is why history has recognized him as ‘Akbar-the great’. Therefore to speak the Moughal emperors as anti-Indian and that they suffered from religious fanaticism and bigotry would go against history itself.
It is ridiculous that a political party would re-write the history of India as commented by the political leader like Som. lastly it is gratifying to note that even the Supreme Court of India has shown its anxiety over the years to preserve the beauty of Taj and directed the removal of polluting industries and factories around Taj Mahal.
(The writer is a former CBI Special Judge, M-9437022723)