The Hindu : Support for rebuilding tomb of Wali Gujarati

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 27, 2002

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Support for rebuilding tomb of Wali Gujarati

By Our Special Correspondent

AHMEDABAD June 26. Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF) will support the cause of the reconstruction of the tomb of Wali Gujarati, Gujarati poet, which was destroyed during the recent communal riots.

The INSAF organised a ``kavi sammelan'' here on Tuesday dedicated to Wali Gujarati, the theme being fighting ``cultural fascism''.

Litterateurs from all over the country participated in the sammelan and expressed their resolve to support the cause of reconstruction of the tomb.

The initiative to reconstruct the tomb of the 18th century Sufi saint, considered the father of Gujarati ghazals, was taken by the All-Gujarat Minority Association. A function was scheduled for Sunday to lay the foundation stone, but it was disallowed at the last moment by police apprehending disturbances.

The INSAF national executive member, Saroop Dhruv, a cultural activist and poetess from Ahmedabad, said the responsibility to protect the cultural heritage of Ahmedabad was not of one association or religion but of the society as a whole. Litterateurs and social activists from all over the country, who had also formed ``Aman Ekta'' in 40 cities and towns to check the spread of communalism, were keen on reconstructing the tomb.

The revolutionary poetess from Hyderabad, Jameela Nishat, said she would fight for the reconstruction of the tomb ``till the last drop of my blood.''

Ms. Dhruv denied that the litterateurs and other sections of the intellectuals had not raised their voice against the destruction of the poet's tomb till the minority association took up the cause.

Not only had the INSAF and other organisations of the litterateurs adopted a resolution as early as on March 12 for reconstruction of the tomb, it was also a part of the National Human Rights Commission's recommendations, she said.

Another leftist poet from Andhra Pradesh, Jwalamukhi, who writes in Telugu and Hindi, said if the tomb was creating traffic hindrance, the Government should have ensured that the roadline was changed.But the tomb had to be reconstructed.

Gujarat violence was caused by the polarisation of the people on religious lines, which had become possible because of the ``silence of the intellectuals''. Globalisation and privatisation in all sectors leading to unemployment and economic problems also contributed to the spread of violence. The poet from Allahabad, Nilabh, said incompetent leaders could not be expected to understand the value of poets and creative writing and their contributions to cultural heritage.

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Support for rebuilding tomb of Wali Gujarati