Shia clerics say they wish to impose a similar ban on the entry of such tourists to even the Taj Mahal. The action plan will be worked out after a proposed meeting on June 20, at the Ramlila grounds in Delhi, where the Shias are proposed to be joined by Sunni leaders and even Hindu representatives from all over the country.
Admits a senior tourism official: "This will surely have an impact on tourism." The tourism department in Lucknow has not been able to remove the painted flags near the doorway nor have they revoked the ban. An official explains: "Legally speaking, it is not a public property as it is owned by the Hussainabad Trust." Some Shia clerics and pensioners of the old Awadh state are members of the trust while the district magistrate, Lucknow, heads it. In fact, the DM too has balked at pressurising the members of the Hussainabad Trust to remove the ban, recognising it as an emotional issue.
The police too have been asked to handle the matter carefully. "White tourists seem to be in danger," says a senior police official. "Our Hindu friends are also joining us in our mission," says Shahi Islam. The Shankaracharya of Dwarkapeeth has requested Hindus to support the Shia clerics after a meeting with Kalbe Jawad in Haridwar last week. Says Swami Avi Mukteshwarananda Saraswati, a follower and office-bearer of the Shankaracharya: "An attack on religious places is unpardonable. We understand the sentiments of our Muslim brothers and according to instructions from Jagat Guru Shankaracharya, several Hindu saints from all over the country will support the Shias." If indeed that happens, it could well snowball into something bigger.
