We want peace, say village chiefs in mahapanchayat on namaz issue
SORTING IT OUT Pradhans come together to spread the message of unity, to hold talks with Muslims
GURUGRAM: Participants of a mahapanchayat, which was organised in Jharsa on Saturday, said they would not allow fringe elements to vitiate the environment in Gurugram.
The gathering, which was held in the wake of continued protests by members of rightwing organisations against offering namaz in open spaces, saw the participation of heads of 360 villages.
On April 26, the police had arrested six persons for allegedly disrupting namaz on a vacant plot in Sector 43 on April 20.
Those present at the gathering said they want to send out a message of brotherhood and communal harmony.
The panchayat was organised under the leadership of Chaudhary Mahindar Singh Thakran, the pradhan of Jharsa 360 Khap.
Thakran said the purpose of the mahapanchayat was to ensure that the culture,peace and harmony of Gurugram are not disrupted by miscreants from a particular community.
“We will not allow a few members to vitiate the atmosphere with their evil agenda. All religions are equal and everyone has the right to pray. We have our temples, they have their mosques. We are not against any group but Muslims should try to pray in their mosques,” Thakran said.
Thakran added that people from different communities have lived in peace for years in Gurugram and the same should be continued.
“We want to live with our brothers in peace. We plan to carry this message across different villages so that the nefarious agenda of fringe elements can be defeated,” Thakran said.
Plans to hold another mahapanchayat was also discussed in the gathering. Those present said they would invite Muslims to take part in a mahapanchayat on May 27.
“We appeal to the people to maintain the unity. We should not stand against each other or have evil feelings towards members of other communities. All of should come together to identify the fringe elements and inform the authorities,” Rashtra Kumar Dahiya, who organised the mahapanchayat, said.
Dahiya added that while the authorities were doing their job, they would continue to spread the message of oneness and unity to sustain the integration within the Gurugram society.
“The name of Gurugram has never been tarnished like this. We want to put an end to this. The mahapanchayat was called to mend the problems between the two communities, is there have been some strains in the past few weeks,” Naresh Sehrawat (47), sarpanch of Sukhrali village, said.
“In our region, we share surnames with our Muslim brothers. We invite them to our family functions. We have lived together in harmony for decades, be it in Mewat or elsewhere. We have no issues with Muslims,” he said.
“We only have problems with outsiders who offer namaz in the open. The rightwing organisations are trying to politicise the issue to their advantage. We do not want any politics over this issue. We will come together and take others into confidence to restore peace in Gurugram,” he said.
Mukesh Sharma, a 52-yearold advocate who took part in the meeting, said, “Some foreign elements with malevolent intentions want to exploit the situation. Gurugram is a peaceful area. We will not let anyone politicise issues over caste, creed and religion. We will try to identify these people with the help of locals, khaps and sarpanch and isolate them.”
Sharma added that Muslims, Sikhs and members of all communities will be asked to join the next mahapanchyat on May 27.
We will not allow a few members to vitiate the atmosphere with their evil agenda. All religions are equal and everyone has the right to pray.
CMS THAKARAN, pradhan, Jharsa
Gurugram is a peaceful area. We will not let anyone politicise issues over caste, creed and religion. We will isolate such people.
M SHARMA, lawyer