The New Delhi Municipal Council’s plan to demolish Delhi’s Sunehri Bagh Masjid has triggered an uproar. While the Delhi High Court is hearing another petition challenging the status quo, a section of the media has already begun linking objections – especially those by political leaders such as AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi – to an attempt to either “appease” or “provoke” Muslims.
But architects understand that buildings are not just material; they are not just a pile of brick, mortar, and concrete. Just as a humble house has meaning for the person who builds it and lives in it, historic public structures such as the Sunehri Bagh Masjid hold even deeper meanings.
