Rabindranath Tagore described it as a “solitary tear suspended on the cheek of time”. Indians revere the instantly recognisable symbol of the country as a national treasure. It stands as a beautiful testimony to the love of a king for his queen. Since its completion in 1648 representing the best of Mughal architecture the Taj Mahal has been seen as national property regardless of who ruled the land on which it stood.
It is a sign of our times that politicians should eye the monument as a plaything and risk making it the next battleground between UP and the Centre. It becomes worrisome if one of the finest symbols of nationalism is allowed to be used by some clever politicians to distract people.
Azam Khan may have set the ball rolling, saying that the Taj should be declared waqf property while castigating Shah Jahan for excessive expenditure on his monument to Mumtaz. He has a response now from the BJP chief of UP, Laxmikant Bajpai, who says the Taj was part of an ancient temple even as he rakes up the land deal between Raja Jai Singh and Shah Jahan, who granted the former land to build his palace in lieu of the Taj plot, all of which is settled history. We can suggest a very simple solution — please leave the Taj alone. It belongs to India and all Indians.
