An edited version appeared in the Indian Express on Feb. 25. But I feel it missed some of the emotions in the way it was written originally.
Chinki Sinha
New Delhi, Feb. 19, 2009
With its bright turquoise dome built with uneven tiles donated by the
Iranian government and Koranic verses inscribed on them, and a stone
exterior, the India Islamic Culture Center has turned more than a few
heads.
On Lodhi Road, the dome perched on a square building certainly stands
out among the other buildings, restaurants and government centers, and
rightfully so, the members say.
"It is exquisite. It is one of its kind," Atif Wajhi, one of the
managers at the center, said.
When he moves his hands over the green and golden leaves on the inlay
work, you could tell Wajhi is too proud of the intricate carving done
by Persian craftsmen that came from Iran.
"You see, there is no other building like this here. It is unique and
it's not just a structure, it means much more for the community," he
said.
From the foyer, the blue, yellow and red of the dome lend it an
ethereal look. The history of the building, which was inaugurated in
2006, goes way back to 1980 when the then Prime Minister Indira
Gandhi donated the land to a group of Muslim elites who wanted to
build an Islamic center to dispel myths about the religion. That year
even marked the 1400th year of Prophet Muhammad's life on earth and
the group wanted to construct a structure to commemorate him.
And even though it would be an Islamic center, the group wanted it to
be open to other religions and have a secular tone. But the plans got
mired in red tapism and bureaucratic labyrinth and for the longest
time. The land, about 2.5 acres, housed two old government buildings
that sometimes served as a temporary housing arrangement for Muslim
students who had come to the city either for taking examinations or to
study.
It was only much later, in 2003 that Sirajudin Querishi, the president
of the Islamic center, offered to help build the building that would
be a landmark in the area. The association had 600 members at the
time.
In January, 2004, Querishi was elected the president and things began
to move forward. After paying off the liability of Rs. 84 lakhs,
Querishi started raising funds for construction of the building.
Several eminent persons donated money. Some states too contributed.
And within 15 months, the building was ready.
And it wasn't without its own set of struggles. The group hit a
roadblock when it came to procuring bank loans and finally got a
co-operative bank, the Bombay Mercantile Co-operative Bank, to advance
a loan. And two years of being functional, around Rs. 2.63 crores of
the Rs. 4 crore loan has been paid off, Wadood Sajid, the media
advisor at the center said.
So after almost two-and-a-half decades, the building finally came into being.
But talk to the members and they'd tell you that Rome was not built in a day.
Now the center has more than 2009 members. The lifetime membership
charge of Rs. 30,000 is reasonable and doesn't act as a barrier for
the middle classes to be part of the center, Sajid said.
About 20 percent of the members are Hindus.
Dinesh Madan joined it a couple of years ago when his friends
recommended the center. A businessman, Madan said he never felt
discriminated against at the center.
"I have not felt anything against me," he said. "It is a good meeting
point for all cultures and will lead us to accept each other. The
people on the forefront are highly educated and have foresight."
But a few members said the committee should have representation from
different religions as well. The 12-member committee is an all Muslim
body.
But Sajid said no Hindus came forward to contest elections that were
held earlier this year.
However, in the long run, members anticipate that the center would be
able to promote understanding between communities in an age where acts
of terrorism have pitched them in a battle against each other.
"We always wanted the building to have a non-political and secular
character. We have done many programs here. We talk about Indian Islam
here because as Indians, we have a common culture," Sajid said.
And not just being a confluence of cultures that celebrates Diwali and
Eid and Christmas, the center has assumed an active role in dispelling
stereotypes about Islam, particularly in the wake of recent terror
attacks and the negative branding of the community.
"We are against terrorism," Sajid said. "And we have asked the
government to find out why suicide bombers kill themselves. We haven't
delved deep into that."
Even after the Mumbai attacks, the center asked the government to form
an independent panel to investigate the attacks, Sajid said.
Perhaps in the future, it will play a much bigger role. Already,
expansion plans are underway. With a restaurant, a coffee shop, an
auditorium, and conference rooms, the center has become a known venue
for conferences and symposiums.
It also has several programs for the low-income groups including free
coaching for aspirants appearing for civil services exams.
"This is the first institution in free India to get Muslims out of the
ghetto image," Sajid said. "And it needs to be there."
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