Author: Himnshu Kaushik
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: January 5, 2003
Introduction: 'When we work on the
temple's dome, we take off slippers, avoid non-veg'
Riots may have ripped apart the
secular fabric of Gujarat but here's a story that'll make you feel otherwise.
Over 50 Muslim artisans from Kapadwanj are camping at Trimandir on Ahmedabad-Mehsana
Highway near Adalaj at present. Their task: making domes for the temple.
They're not the only ones. About
20-odd Muslim artisans from Kolkata are also at work in a timber godown
at Pethapur near Gandhinagar, making pillars and doors for the temple.
The Trimandir, which is being constructed
by Bhagwan Dada Panth, has idols of Shree Mandhar Swami, Shiv and Krishna.
Chandbhai Sattarbhai, a worker from
Kapadwanj, says: "We make a living out of building domes for temples. Our
contractors, Masumbhai Mohammedbhai and Safl Ismail, are known contractors.
The fact that thousands of devotees will come here and offer their prayers
eggs us on to give our best."
"When I am on the job, I'm an artisan
and not a Muslim. I respect the religion I'm working for. I make it a point
to remove my slippers when I climb the roof to work on the dome. We have
been working bare feet even when the temperature zooms to 40 degrees,"
he adds.
Kalu Mehboobbhai, also from Kapadwanj,
says: "We've been working here for five months and are staying on the temple
premises. We make it a point not to cook non-vegetarian food here."
This is the third temple that Kalu
is working on. "I am not bothered about who's Hindu and who's Muslim. I
am satisfied that by working for another religion I get money on which
my family survives. If our contractors get the job of building the domein
Ayodhya, we won't hesitate."
But when questioned, he said the
disputed site should not be handed over. "Let the Government use it for
some other purpose rather than building a temple or masjid," Kalu says.
"During the riots, some of us were
in Ranip and Rajula, busy working on temple parts. The trust that we were
working for gave us adequate security. The people of the area also came
and assured that we need not worry," says Rafiq Kalubhai, who's been working
here for the past two years.
The workers are also carving doors
and pillars for the temple. 'This is not the first time, we've worked in
many parts of the country," says Sikander Khan while carving pillars for
the temple at Krishna Timber Godown in Pethapur.
"We will now go to another site,
probably in Dehgam in Kalol, where we'll again work on temples."
Khan says he gets "maximum satisfaction
in working on temples." "In Ranip, we made a Rath and now we're making
the doors and pillars for Trimandir," he says.
Mujiwar Mohammed says: "We work
for Ajizbhai Rehman from Kolkata. Fourteen of us are Muslims and we've
never had any conflict with Hindu workers."
Rahul Sen, who has been working
on the dome for nearly five years, says: "I have seen them put in more
effort than me. They even follow Hindu customs when they are in the temple."
