A 7-member Committee appointed by the Indian Union ministry of minority affairs in September 2006 to investigate the cases of financial irregularities and misappropriation of funds in Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti's Dargah at Ajmer and to suggest ways so that its income could be used for people's welfare has said in its report that there is large-scale corruption at higher levels in this Dargah.
Professor C.S. Bandukwala of Baroda's M.S. University, who is also a member of this Committee, which was led by social activist Firoz Bakht Ahmad, said that there was unnecessary and wasteful expenditure in this Dargah which should not be allowed to continue. He said that the existing system needs to be changed, especially the financial system.
It may be mentioned in this connection that besides welfare activities, many medical and engineering colleges have been set up and are being run in Gulbarga with the Dargah's income while no such activity is seen at Ajmer's Dargah which is considered the biggest and most revered in the Subcontinent.
Bandukwala said that if the income from Ajmer's Dargah is used honestly for educational and welfare purposes, there will be no need to seek government's help for setting up schools and colleges in that area at least. The Committee said in its report that people associated with this Dargah are filling up their pockets with the income derived from the Dargah in the form of donations, offerings, gifts etc.
The Committee said in its report submitted to the ministry recently that it is a big tragedy that crores of rupees are being wasted and huge incomes are being used illegally.
Though it is difficult to find out how much income is obtained every year through donations, offerings etc, the Committee in its report said that the Dargah's annual income is estimated at, at least Rs 120 crore but almost the entire income is distributed among 5000-odd "khadims" (servants) who also receive large sums directly from the public.
The "khadims" argue that they are justified in sharing the income as they render voluntary services in the Dargah. The Committee said in its report that Ajmer Sharif Daragh Committee which looks after the management of the Dargah's properties has deliberately kept the rent low of shops, etc, hired by its members and acquaintances.
It said that it is strange that the rent of a building which is the Dargah's property and in which there is branch of State Bank of India is only Rs 100 per month whereas its market rent is Rs 1,000 pm. In some cases officers of the Dargah committee extended the lease of tenants from the mandated 5 years to 15 years without charging any money, resulting in huge losses of the Dargah.
The panel recommended to the ministry to examine legal aspects or points of using the Dargah's income for building educational institutions, hospitals etc and stop the corruption and misappropriations going on there. Reportedly, waqf and minority ministry officials are not happy with the report and are trying to water it down, to shorten it to a few pages from its original 47 page report.
Courtesy: The Muslim World