Shrine of Shah Madar in Makanpur
Dr.Mazhar Naqvi
The removal of the contents
related to prominent Sufi Hazrat Badi Uddin Zinda Shah Madar from the official
website of Uttar Pradesh Tourism has rightly caused much heart burning among
the followers of Mazhab-E-Haqqa.( True Religion).Madariya Sufi Foundation, an
outfit involved in creating awareness about Shah Madar under the leadership of Mumbai
based Mr.Sameer Bhogani has
sought chief Minister Mr. Akhilesh Yadav‘s intervention in the matter and
demanded immediate uploading of the removed contents. He has also threatened to
resort to agitation if desired action is not initiated in a reasonable time .The
reaction of the foundation is fully justified if one looks at the contribution
of Madariya order in preservation of rituals
associated with the memory of Karbala martyrs and India’s struggle for freedom
after the battle of Plassey in 1757.
The headquarters of the order in Makanpur,
a village about 63 kms from Kanpur city of Uttar Pradesh ( India)contains the
tomb of Imami Malang Majnu Shah who had
fought against the East India Company in Bihar, Bengal and Orissa for over two
decades .Along with him also lies buried scores of freedom fighter who were
punished with death penalty for siding with Peshwa Nanarao in 1857’s First Wart
of Independence but described by British historian as mutiny. The order was
once very popular in India but it had to pay a very heavy price for its
anti-British stance. After finding the followers of Shah Madar full of patriotism
and averse to any kind of oppression, the British not only suppressed them with
iron hand but also engineered the gradual decline of the order.
Unfortunately, the policy
initiated by the British continued even after Indian independence in 1947.like British,
Indian government also continued to turn blind eye towards the grave injustice
meted out to Madariya order for its patriotism. Makanpur remained out of all
developmental works and even today it does not have any degree college whereas
its neighboring villages have much better facilities. The sprawling shrine of
order’s patron saint Shah Madar also does not receive due attention from the
state government and devotees who throng
twice on the occasion of Urs and Basant Cattle Fair face all sorts of basic
amenity related problems.
Much was expected when Madariya Sufi
foundation came into existence a few years back. Due to efforts of Mr. Sameer,
the state government doled out some money during the regime of Ms. Mayawati for carrying
out developmental work. But the amount was diverted to some other project at
the behest of local legislator. Then, Makanpur was also included in the
district plan but nothing happened. The only solace for the foundation was the
inclusion of Makanpur as a tourist destination in the official website of the UPTOURS.
But alas! that too has been removed during the so called up gradation of the portal.
The action has evoked strong reactions but local media has not paid attention.
The move is perceived as yet another
attempt to suppress Madariya Sufi order. It is unfortunate, considering the
fact that India is an independent country now and the British no longer exist
on her soil. For Imamis too the removal of contents relating to Madariya Sufi
order in particular and other great Sufis of Uttar Pradesh like Syed Salar
Masood Ghazi, Ashraf Jehangir Samnani of Kichaucha and Shah Meena, Lucknow in general , is a matter
of grave concern. These Sufis have been a protector of Azadari and Muharram
rituals before the establishment of a pro- Ahlebait dynasty in Awadh in
1722.The role of Madari Malangs in this context has been an exemplary one. They
have been carrying panjatan alams and Mahe- Maratib( Insignia) since the time
of Shah Madar who had taken ‘purdah’ on 17 Jamad Ul Awwal in 1431.These malangs
are devotees of Imam Zain-ul Abdeen and
wear black clothes always.Their dancing tribute dhamal is also in memory of
Hazrat Zainab who was taken to Syria by the forces of Yazid bareheaded.Moreover, Makanpur is also a prominent center of Taziadari for more than 60 hundred years and people from all walks of life and iorrespective of caste, creed and religion observe Muharram with solemnity .(
References available on Request)
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