By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 4 Jun: Acting on the directions of the District Magistrate, the district administration today prevented the weekly market selling prasad and other religious offerings from operating outside a disputed mazaar located near the Forest Rangers’ Colony on Convent Road here. The action marks the latest development in the ongoing controversy surrounding the mazaar, which has been under scrutiny for some time over allegations that it is situated on Forest Department land and was subsequently entered in Waqf records despite questions being raised about its ownership and land-related documentation.
City Magistrate Pratyush Singh, accompanied by officials of Dehradun Municipal Corporation and the police personnel, conducted an enforcement drive in the area and ensured that kiosks, temporary stalls and roadside vendors dealing in prasad, chadars, incense sticks and other items are not allowed to set up their businesses outside the mazaar. The administration also removed structures and material associated with the market and warned the vendors that they would not be permitted to operate from the location in future. It may be recalled that weekly markets and stalls are operated every Thursday outside the mazaars across the country. Today was also the day when the weekly market and the stalls were being put up when the administration acted to prevent the same.
Officials state that the market has become a cause of traffic congestion and inconvenience to the general public on Convent Road. According to the administration, large crowds often gather in the area, particularly on Thursdays, resulting in disruption to traffic movement and creating difficulties for local residents and commuters. The City Magistrate said the market has been removed in view of these concerns and warned that strict action would be taken if the vendors attempt to resume business activities at the site without permission.
The action has come at a time when the mazaar itself has become a topic of debate concerning its legal and ownership status. Questions have been raised regarding whether the structure is located on government land belonging to the Forest Department and how it came to be recorded as a Waqf property. The issue has attracted renewed attention following the Government of India’s exercise to register and verify Waqf properties through the UMEED portal.
Sources familiar with the process said that despite the extension of the deadline for uploading documentary evidence relating to Waqf properties, hundreds of such properties across different regions have still not been registered on the portal because the required land and ownership documents are not available with the occupants. During the verification process, several properties are also understood to have come under scrutiny over allegations that they had been recorded as Waqf properties despite being located on government land.
The mazaar situated on Convent Road in the Forest Research Institute colony area is among the properties that have been discussed in this context. The officials have further claimed that the property had reportedly been entered in Waqf records under registration number UK DD 0334. However, questions are now being raised regarding the availability of supporting land records and ownership documents required for verification under the UMEED portal process.
Local residents and other stakeholders have also pointed to the absence of publicly available documentation relating to the land on which the mazar stands. It is being argued that a Waqf property is generally expected to be based on a valid endowment or donation supported by relevant records. In the case of the disputed site, officials are understood to be examining whether such documentation exists and whether the entry made in official records is supported by legally valid evidence.
This particular mazaar is associated with Syed Jamal Shah. It may be reminded here that several other mazaars in Dehradun and Mussoorie also operate under the name of Syed Jamal Shah. The question is where the mortal remains of the actual Syed Jamal Shah are buried. The claims and counterclaims in this regard have further added to the debate surrounding the site. However, no official determination on these issues has yet been announced and the matter remains under examination by the concerned authorities.
The area surrounding the mazaar has also been a subject of discussion among the local residents for several years. Questions have been raised regarding access routes leading to the site, the movement of visitors through the Forest Research Institute colony and the commercial activities that have developed around the shrine. Every week, vendors selling religious offerings and other items reportedly conduct business outside the site, attracting a sizeable number of visitors.
Sources claim that the district administration is now considering further action in the matter. With questions continuing to be raised regarding the land status of the property and the availability of supporting documentation, notices may be issued by the administration as part of the verification process. Any future action, officials claim, would be taken in accordance with legal procedures and after examination of all relevant records.
The development comes against the backdrop of the Uttarakhand Government’s ongoing campaign against alleged encroachments and unauthorised religious structures on government land. Under the drive launched by the Pushkar Singh Dhami government, action has been taken against a large number of structures identified as being in violation of legal provisions. Official figures indicate that nearly 600 allegedly unauthorised mazaars and similar structures have been removed from government land across the State after due verification and administrative action.
