Hyderabad: Sufi council seeks new board for dargahs

Hyderabad: The All India Sufi Sajjadah Nashin Council decided to submit a detailed resolution to the Union Government demanding constitution of a separate board to govern the affairs of Dargahs. A meeting of the governing body of the Council was held in Hyderabad under the patronage of Moulana Syed Zainul Abedin Ali Khan Dewan and Sajjadah Nashin of Dargah Ajmer on Monday.

Chairman of the Council, Moulana Syed Naseeruddin Chishty, said most of the Wakf institutions and properties belong to dargahs, but the Wakf Act does not cater to issues related to the dargahs and their custodians. There was a need to have a separate board and law to govern matters related to dargahs, he said.

“The Council demands that the Union government interact with Sufis, Ulemas and intellectuals of the Muslim community before bringing amendments in the Wakf Act and other Acts that attract religious doctrine,” he said

Mr Syed Yadulla Hussaini Nizam, spokesperson of the Council, clarified that although the Wakf Act recognized the Sajjadah Nashin, it was silent on his role. “There is no section which stipulates the status of the Sajjada Nashin and his rights and duties. The Wakf Board has no right to appoint or confirm the appointment of Sajjadah Nashin according to the present Act, while the fact is that in Sufism the position of a Sajjadah Nashin is higher than the Mutawalli.”

Moulana Naseeruddin Chishty said that the Council expressed its concern over the incidents of mob violence and rape. It urged state governments to take effective measures to curb incidents of mob violence and asked the central government to enact a law to deal with incidents of lynching. It also urged the government to take stringent action against rapists and ensure that the guilty should be punished by prosecuting them in a fast track court to ensure justice to the victims.

He said there was a need to enact a law to control social media which was a major source for spreading misinformation and creating chaos and disturbance among different communities. “It instils disharmony in the minds of youth, which is dangerous for the nation. It is the need of the hour to maintain old customs and traditions of the country to ensure coexistence of people of all religions and community,” he added.

Moulana Syed Abdul Qadir Quadri Waheed Pasha said, “We are preparing a charter of demands and will soon meet with the ministers of the Union government and higher officials and discuss various issues. Our Council is ready to provide all cooperation to the government to neutralise communal hatred.”