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Masjids - Ludhina Religious Landmarks
Jama Masjid
Amidst the dense and thickly populated Field Ganj area here stands a dilapidated mosque, which has been a mute witness to some turbulent moments of history. The Jama Masjid Choon Gharan, now called Field Ganj, may be presenting a desolate look today, but it was not always so. The mosque had remained a center of hectic activity during the freedom struggle.
The mosque is managed by the grandchildren of Maulana Habib-ur-Rehman Ludhianvi, a leading freedom fighter who spent considerable time of his life in jail with various nationalist leaders. He was jailed for the first time in 1932 when he resorted to individual satyagraha on the call of Mahatma Gandhi.
For Atiq-ur-Rehman Ludhianvi, the mosque has a sentimental attachment. So have thousands of others who have grown up in and around this mosque. Mr Rehman remarks, “It leads to nostalgic memories about our past when things were quite different from what they are today”.
Ludhiana at the time of Partition was a Muslim majority city. However, Hindus and Sikhs were not in less number either. The population ratio was slightly in favour of Muslims. But the three communities lived in peace and harmony. But there were some exceptional cases when the British managed to create a chasm between the two communities. So much so that water was served to people as “Hindu water”and “Muslim water” at the railway station. But the saner voices always prevailed.
The Rehmans have no regrets of staying back in India. In fact, their association with nationalist leaders like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Azad and Asaf Ali and deep faith in the promise of secularism that held them back in India. And Rehmans believe that more or less the promise was kept.
The mosque had been occupied in 1947 after the partition when most of the Muslims migrated to Pakistan. The Rehmans had also shifted to Delhi, where they had been provided accommodation near Jama Masjid, by no less a person than the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The mosque had been converted into a Gurdwara. However, in 1956 the then Chief Minister of Punjab, Mr Pratap Singh Kairon, got it vacated and regular prayers started from the same year. The Rehmans were also prevailed upon to return to their native city and they started management of the mosque from that year only.
Thus started the process of resettlement of Muslims in the city again. Today the Muslim population of the city is believed to be about half a million, most of them belonging to the migrant labour class from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. A good number of Muslims are in trade and business also. However, according to Mr Rehman, the Muslims are economically backward as compared to other communities.
The mosque remains the centre of all social gatherings of the community. Currently the mosque has a seating capacity of about 6000 people. Every Friday more than 6000 people throng the place to offer the special Friday prayers. In the absence of an Idgah here, the Id prayers are also offered in the mosque. Maulana Habib-ur-Rehman (Jr) said that all roads outside the mosque are closed on the day of Id to accommodate people.
Although the mosque trust owns several shops, the mosque has not so much income, which could help it to be maintained properly. Maulana Habib said the shops had been rented out four and five decades ago and were fetching poor rent of Rs 50 to Rs 100 per month. Besides, there is no other source, which could help it to be maintained.
It is from this mosque that the Junior Habib claimed that their grandfather had launched a campaign against the British and supported freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh and Suhbash Chander Bose. Maulana Habib-ur-Rehman was also charged with providing shelter to Bhagat Singh.
The family had inherited the spirit of nationalism from ancestors. In 1857, the British had forfeited about 140 acres of land belonging to the family for their involvement in the 1857 uprising. The family has not been compensated since then.
Courtesy: Mr. Vimal Sumbly
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