Sambhal: the story of a controversial town and the challenges of human rights and religious minorities

Sambhal, a small town once known for its peaceful life and friendly relationships, has now become a hotbed of bitter sectarian disputes. The town, located in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, has attracted global attention due to religious controversies, divided opinions over security measures, and human rights issues. The story of Sambhal tells us important things about human rights and religious freedom in India as a whole.¹

History and religious controversy

Sambhal has a rich history of cultural and religious diversity, with Muslims, Hindus, and other groups coexisting in peace and harmony for centuries. The history of the town is largely one of religious and cultural pluralism;  the city’s Mughal-era mosque, the Shahi Jama Masjid, is an important part of Sambhal’s history.

Recently, however, the peace of the town has been disrupted. On 19 November 2024, Hindu petitioners led by Vishnu Shankar Jain alleged that the Shahi Jama Masjid was built on the ruins of an ancient Hindu temple. Tensions rose and a court ordered surveys to be carried out in response to the petition; during one of these surveys, violence broke out. Several Muslims (wrongly) believed that the mosque was being dug up, while domineering police and antagonistic Hindu chanting were alleged to have contributed to the outbreak. Five Muslims were killed in the violence, while many other people were injured. The court case is as yet unresolved—as is the conflict more broadly.

This incident has created a rift among the Sambhals, raising questions about history and religious unity as well as negatively affecting the daily life of the city’s inhabitants. For Hindus, the mosque originated in an act of Mughal destruction, while Muslims consider it an important place of worship, seeing any attempt to alter or demolish it as unacceptable.

The impact of this controversy is not only felt by local Hindus and Muslims but also raises important questions about religious freedom, minority rights, and human rights in an India which is already riven with religious disputes and governed by a Hindu nationalist prime minister. Indeed, similar controversies between Hindus and Muslims concerning places of worship have been occurring for decades. Other notable cases include that of the Babri Masjid and the Gyanvapi Mosque dispute (the latter case has also featured the involvement of Vishnu Shankar Jain).

Peace or repression?

With increased security in Sambhal, an unusual level of stress has affected the daily lives of the city’s residents. Additional police officers have been deployed to monitor the situation and are patrolling important religious sites to prevent any illegal activities or violence. For some, the increased security is necessary to maintain peace, while for others, it is seen as an interference in daily life—and perhaps even a step towards repression.

The struggle for human rights and religious freedom

India has long prided itself on its secularism, but over the decades religious communalism has led to outbreaks of fanaticism and violence. Sambhal is a microcosm of the tensions which bedevil India. While Muslims claim that interference with the Shahi Jama Masjid would violate their globally recognised human right to religious freedom, Hindus are also emotionally involved. For them, the issue is also about their history and heritage.

Some residents and onlookers also fear that if the existence of the mosque is challenged, the rights of other minorities in Sambhal could be threatened. If the settlement of this dispute violates religious freedom and minority rights, it will raise serious concerns about the protection of minority rights not only in Sambhal but in the rest of India.

The alternative: peace, unity, and tolerance

Amid the controversy and the violence, efforts are being made to maintain peace and tolerance in Sambhal. Community leaders, religious leaders, and social workers are urging citizens to respect each other’s rights and find a solution to the issue through dialogue.

This situation is a reminder that such issues cannot be settled by force or violence; they can only be settled through mutual respect and understanding of each other’s rights. The Sambhals share a common goal: peace, tolerance, and the maintenance of religious freedom. The confrontation in Sambhal provides an opportunity for the town’s residents to acknowledge their differences and work towards peace and a more cohesive social order, even as it threatens to undo decades of peaceful pluralism.

Discussion, not violence: a lesson for India and the world

The Sambhal controversy is also a global issue of human rights and religious freedom. It engenders some fundamental questions. Can we freely exercise freedom without fear? Can we preserve our religious beliefs and cultural heritage without violating the rights of others? Most importantly, can we respect each other’s rights and build a better and more peaceful society?

The story of Sambhal reminds us that we must recognize and accept our differences. Events in Sambhal reflect events elsewhere in India but the situation in Sambhal is not quite so hopeless. Compare, for example, the thousands of lives lost in the violence spawned from the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992 (a new Hindu temple was consecrated on the site of the old mosque last January).

The dispute in Sambhal shows that it is through discussion, not violence, that difficult and sensitive issues must be resolved. Only then can we maintain peace, tolerance, and harmony in our societies. If the people of Sambhal are able to achieve this in the coming months and years, rather than fall to sectarianism and violence, then perhaps there is hope for the rest of India—and the world.

1. Impressions about events in and the current state of Sambhal in this article are based on extensive research, reliable sources, and accounts from individuals familiar with the area. ↩︎

Related reading

The rise and fall of god(s) in Indian politics: Modi’s setback, Indic philosophy, and the freethought paradox, by Kunwar Khuldune Shahid

Campaign ‘to unite India and save its secular soul’, by Puja Bhattacharjee

‘Words are the only victors’ – Salman Rushdie’s ‘Victory City’, reviewed, by Daniel James Sharp

The resurgence of enlightenment in southern India: interview with Bhavan Rajagopalan, by Emma Park

Faith Watch, March 2024, by Daniel James Sharp