Tensions rose at Varanasi’s Uday Pratap Degree College this week, with several students protesting – seven of them detained by police – after a large number of devotees offered Friday prayers at a mosque inside the college.
It has been in violence since last month A survey of the century-old mosque of Sambhal A Varanasi college is in turmoil as the campus mosque issue is back in the limelight.
College officials and others attribute this to the revival of a notification issued by the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board in 2018, which was widely shared on social media. In a notice addressed to the college manager, one Waseem Ahmed of Varanasi sought a response to the demand to register the land on which the mosque is located inside the campus as waqf property. However, the college has said that no case is pending with the Waqf Board regarding the land.
Last Friday, tension was heightened after a large number of devotees came to the mosque. According to the protesters, this time over 600 people turned up for Friday prayers at the mosque inside the campus, whereas normally, the number is only 40-50.
In response to this, many college students gathered at the campus gate on Tuesday and recited ‘Hanuman Chalisa’. The police stationed at the spot stopped them from going near the mosque and arrested seven people, including current and former students, on charges of disturbance. They were booked for breach of peace and released on bail on the same day.
The college principal said he requested the administrative and police authorities to ban the entry of outsiders into the campus for prayers at the mosque. “Only persons with valid Aadhaar card should be allowed entry. Residents living near the college and students of UP College can pray at the mosque, but allowing others to do so can create tension on campus. To maintain order, everyone must present a valid identity card before entering for prayers,” said Principal Dharmendra Kumar Singh.
Uday Pratap College is spread over 100 acres of land and is a renowned educational hub of Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The campus has five institutions namely Udaya Pratap Inter College, Rani Murar Kumari Balika Inter College, Udaya Pratap Public School, a Management College and an Autonomous College. They collectively cater to 17,000 students.
It was established in 1909 by Rajarshi Udaya Pratap Singh Judeo as Hewett Kshatriya High School and advanced to an intermediate college in 1921, when it was renamed Udaya Pratap Intermediate College, Varanasi. In 1949, it got the status of a degree college.
The mosque within the campus is situated on 0.06 acres of land.
The principal said, “Since there is a mosque here for a long time and recently it was renovated twice in 2012, we are confused as to why this issue has been raised now. According to the revenue records, the entire land was registered in the name of Uday. Pratap College.”
He also said that the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board’s letter clearly stated that no case related to the college land was pending before the board.
SM Yasin, joint secretary of Anjuman Intejamia Masjid (Gyanawapi Masjid Management Committee), wrote to the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board on 3 December, highlighting Uday Pratap College as a leading educational institution in Varanasi. He expressed concern over the confusion arising from the board’s notification about the mosque, calling it a “symbol of communal harmony on campus” and requested clarity on the current status of the notification.
In its response on December 3, the board clarified that the notice issued by then Assistant Secretary Ale Ateeq was canceled by the order of the board chairman on January 18, 2021. The reply said, “No further action is in progress in this regard.”
When contacted, Yasin said, “With the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board’s clarification, this issue should be resolved now. The protest is due to a misunderstanding.”
Former student Vivekananda Singh said the large number of students coming to the campus for prayers on Friday was disappointing. “Since it is a college with a large student population, outsiders should be stopped from offering namaz in the mosque,” he said.
Sudhir Singh, president of the UP College Students’ Union, said that discussions are being held with the district administration and the police to maintain order.
Varanasi Deputy Commissioner of Police Chandrakant Meena assured that police forces have been deployed and the situation is under control.