“One might be tempted to seize on the well as a symbol of
communal tensions that divides even the most mundane facets of a shared
environment. Hindus might be said to
claim it for their own through the person of the Hindu raja, while Muslims use
the Muslim sultan. But this would
oversimplify a situation that demanded more nuanced analysis in
scholarship. I would argue that the well
finds its place on many of the maps by which nexus residents orient themselves
relative to their time, space, and identity.
And surely, some of these maps are communal and do attempt to label
territory and communities as Hindu and Muslim.” P.174
Struggle to define communal identity:
“According to popular accounts, tensions have also increased
with regard to the space that villagers share.
Two of the newest temples in the area are Hanuman temples. Many Muslims allege that one of these was
deliberately and provocatively situated along the river near the collection of
Muslim tombs….Many local Hindus claim that the broken remains of a Hanuman murti were discovered in the river,
evidence of a temple broken by the Muslim invaders, and rightfully
restored….Certain local residents attempt to define sites as ‘Hindu’ and
‘Muslim’ through narratives that reflect that the supposedly essential quality
of those identities.” P.122
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