Save Samana Campaign-Need of the hour

Imamzada Ali's Shrine Still Neglected at Samana 

 
 Gurudwara that was once an Imambara ?
 
Dr. Mazhar Naqvi

Roots cannot be uprooted and bond with native place never diminishes. This is how I can sum up the response garnered by my article on the utter neglect of Imamzada Alis’s shrine at Samana near Patiala in Indian Punjab. In response to the article titled “Imami Shrine at Samana-Most Noteworthy and Neglected” with Sub- Heading as “Panj Peer Mazar -Awaiting Recognition as Shrine of Imam Reza's Son”,  Janab Syed Tahir Hussain Rizvi, President,Aanjuman Sadat –E-Patiala, Lahore has been in constant touch with me.Besides offering inbvaluable inputs on Azadari of Samana before partition, his mails exhibit his ardent desire to save Samana from land grabbers and need of government’s intervention to ensure recognition of Samana as the holiest Imami shrine of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan .  One of his mails read as “Dear Naqvi sb.
It is true that people at the both side of border are not taking keen interest in this regard. The biggest problem for us is that  we are not in touch  with local administration and waqf board. During our last visit CM Punjab  announced Rs.1.5 Million for renovation of imambargah of Naqvi Sadat which is still in original state, but unfortunately it could not be materialized. A  committee was formed to look after the affairs of shrines in Samana but  the members have lots of problems among themselves to run the affairs .Local politics is also creating hindrances. The judge of Lahore High Court, Mr Justice (r) Shhabar Raza Rizvi who is our cousin  has played a very important role in this regard….It is unfortunate that history of Samana in written form is not available.

According to Rizvi sahib, Samana was dominated by three powerful Sadat families namely Rizvis, Naqvis and Zaidis. Due to intermarriages, they were all closely related to each other. There were four imambargahs in Samana.T he imambargah of Rizvi Sadat has been  converted into a Gurudwara and is still in original state. The imambargah of Naqvi Sadat is also in good condition and it was repaired and funds were announced to renovate but the work is still pending. The remaining  two imambargahs have been demolished. The azadari of Sadat-E- Samana was known all over India. There are four shrines in Samana,1- Imamzada ALI 2- Mir Aman Ullah Al Husssaini 3-Jud-E- Rizvi Sadat.4- Nizamudin Jud-E- Naqvi Sadat. Similarly mazar of Jud-E- Zaidi Sadat known as Dada Pir is also there.

Syed Tahir Saheb is settled in Pakistan but he belonged to Samana. His parents and entire family had migrated  to Pakistan and his  ancestors had lived in Samana for more than six centuries. He regrets that generally in India this impression has been formed that these mazars were discovered incidentally whereas the fact is that these shrines are very old and fallen into a stae of neglect as the  entire population migrated, leaving behind no one to look after them. His family however occasionally  visited Samana. Sadat-E-Patiala took the matter with the  then  Chief Minister of Punjab Captain Amrinder Singh during his visit to Pakistan. As the Chief Minister being from the erstwhile royal family of Patiala was aware of Sadat-E-Patiala since the creation of this Sikh State, he took personal interest on his return to India and ordered the Punjab Wakf Board to repair and reconstruct the crumbling shrines.

It is evident from the mails of Tahir Saheb that he is still very much concerned about the shrines at Samana. To keep his identity as a native of Samana, he has also formed Anjuman Sadat-E-Patiala in Lahore. But he surely is not hapy at the affairs. He is full of apprehensions that the shrines will disappear if Imami community of India did not take much interest in Samana. I fully endorse his views. Samana had hit the headlines. The media had described the shrine of Imamzada Ali as a chance discovery a few years back. Maulana Syed Kalbe Jawwad Saheb had assured to relocate over 500 shia families to Samana. But since then, nothing has happened. Punjab Government has also not shown any interest after the exit of Captain Amrinder Singh. Hence it surely becomes our responsibility to launch a Save Samana campaign to restore its lost glory and its recognition as the only site in Indian sub- continent with the holy grave of an Imamzada as claimed by Sadat-E-Patiala-Lahore.