We, citizens of Delhi, strongly condemn the ongoing spate of demolitions targeting the cultural and historical heritage of our city.
Most recently the Akhundji Mosque, an orphanage and a graveyard in Mehrauli were razed to the ground by authorities without any prior communication with the caretakers of these sites. The government’s claim that these sites are encroaching on public land is false. The Akhundji mosque’s structural form dates it to the Tughlaq period and its chronogram mentions it was repaired by Bahadur Shah Zafar in 1853-54.
The graveyard dates back 500 years and is still used by the community in Mehrauli. Far from being encroachments, these structures predate the modern city and the DDA and continue to be part of the lived heritage of the city. These are places of belonging to the city across time by different communities.
Such attacks on Mosques and shrines in Delhi constitute an unconscionable assault on our lived heritage, which is shared across faiths. We condemn these attempts to erase memory and places of habitation.
The recent destruction is part of a patter of demolitions undertaken by authorities in the city over the past year. The wanton destruction of homes, bastis, religious structures, shops and markets amounts to a violation of people’s right to life, employment and safe housing.
As concerned citizens we strongly condemn this practice of demolition raj” that has taken on new and violent forms across the country. We are deeply saddened and concerned by the recent demolitions in Haldwani and heart-breaking consequences that have followed.
As a group of heritage enthusiasts, historians, lawyers, writers, civil society rights groups and, most importantly, citizens of this city, we call for a halt to the destruction of Delhi’s historical and lived heritage. We demand a stop to all demolitions and demand guarantees from the concerned goverment bodies that the cultural and built memory of the city will be preserved. We demand that voices of invested local communities be heard.
We stand against this authoritarian mode of urban governance. It hinders
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Sheher People’s Forum for Delhi City Civil society protests against demolitions in Mehrauli
