Jaisalmer, June 20 (IANS) How does a community produce paperwork for a shrine that has existed for nearly 250 years? That question lies at the heart of a growing controversy in Rajasthan’s border district of Jaisalmer, where an administrative notice seeking land ownership documents for the historic Mehmood Shah Peer Jilani shrine has sparked protests and a wider debate over faith, heritage and governance.

The notice, issued under the administration’s ongoing “Operation Clean” drive against alleged illegal constructions within a 50-km radius of the India-Pakistan border, directs the shrine management to submit land-related documents by June 22, failing which action could begin after June 23 under the Rajasthan Colonisation Act.

For officials, the move is part of a routine verification exercise in a sensitive border zone.

For local residents, however, it raises a larger question: should centuries-old religious sites be judged solely by modern documentation standards?

Villagers argue that expecting documentary proof for structures established hundreds of years ago ignores the historical realities of western Rajasthan, where many shrines, temples and community spaces predate formal land-record systems.

Congress District President Amardin Fakir said the issue extends beyond a single shrine.

“Earlier, restrictions were limited to a 10-kilometre belt along the border. Later, they were extended to 15 kilometres and now effectively impact areas up to nearly 50 kilometres. A large portion of Jaisalmer’s population falls within this zone,” he said.

Fakir added that residents fear future action could extend beyond religious sites.

“Many religious places here are centuries old. At the time they were established, maintaining formal records was not a priority. It is unfair to interfere with matters of faith merely because documents are unavailable today,” he said.

Former Ramgarh Sarpanch Govind Bhargava recalled that when the Army was constructing infrastructure in the border region around 1980, villagers informed officials about the shrine’s significance.

“After inspecting the site, the construction was shifted elsewhere. Even then, the shrine’s importance was respected,” he claimed.

According to Jumma Khan, President of the Shrine Committee, the site holds deep significance for both Hindu and Muslim devotees and hosts two major annual fairs.

“Thousands of people visit every year. The shrine has been maintained through public faith and community support for generations. Obtaining ownership documents for a 250-year-old shrine is not easy,” he said.

Officials maintain that notices are being issued in accordance with legal provisions and that affected parties have been given an opportunity to present their case.

Yet, as the deadline approaches, the dispute has evolved into a broader debate over how heritage, faith and administrative regulations can coexist in India’s borderlands.

Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said: “Given the region’s history of coexistence and mutual respect, both the Central and state governments should exercise caution and ensure that administrative decisions do not give rise to avoidable controversy or undermine the social fabric that has long distinguished these border districts.”

–IANS

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