Ali Daruwala Receives the First Dara Shikoh National Award in Delhi

Dara Shikoh’s Martyrdom Day to be Observed Every Year

Pune: Despite being a devout Muslim, Dara Shikoh—the son of Emperor Shah Jahan—was the first to be attracted towards Hindutva. His martyrdom day will henceforth be observed every year on 30th August, announced Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan.

Ali Daruwala, a resident of Pune, is a volunteer attracted to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and is actively involved in the restoration of temples such as Ram Janmabhoomi, Krishna Temple, and Kashi Vishwanath. He raises his voice against terrorism by Muslim extremists and serves as the national spokesperson for the BJP’s Minority Cell. In recognition of his efforts, he was awarded the first Dara Shikoh Award at a ceremony in New Delhi, where Governor Khan was speaking.

The award ceremony took place at the Constitution Club of India near Parliament House, and was attended by prominent figures such as RSS pracharak Sunil Deodhar and Avinash Dharmadhikari, founder of Pune’s Chanakya group.

Speaking in Pune about the award, Ali Daruwala said that although Dara Shikoh followed orthodox Muslim beliefs, he translated many ancient Sanskrit Hindu texts such as the Vedanta, Ramayana, and Mahabharata into Persian and Arabic. Dara believed that to rule India, one must embrace its ancient culture and civilization. Emperor Shah Jahan had planned to make his beloved son Dara Shikoh the heir to the empire. However, when Aurangzeb learned of this, he called a secret meeting with trusted mullahs, ulemas, and Islamic scholars. It was decided that if Shah Jahan tried to hand over the empire to Dara Shikoh—who was drawn to Hinduism—it would endanger Islam. Therefore, they conspired to eliminate him. Aurangzeb was a hardline extremist who feared Hindus.

Ali Daruwala further explained that Aurangzeb feared losing the empire to Dara Shikoh. Historical records state that he plotted to kill Dara Shikoh and imprison Shah Jahan. Dara’s execution took place in the 17th century, and his head was sent to Shah Jahan after being beheaded by Aurangzeb’s chosen men. Over the next five hundred years, until 2014, Hindus faced exploitation, atrocities, and forced conversions under rulers like Aurangzeb and Mahmud of Ghazni. Even after the British rule ended, their successors continued to subject Hindus to oppression. The Ram Janmabhoomi was converted into the Babri Masjid, the land of Krishna’s birth was used to build the Idgah ground, and the Kashi Vishwanath temple was transformed into a mosque, with its spire turned into a dome.

Ali Daruwala stated that in this sense, calling Dara Shikoh the first orthodox Muslim who loved Hindutva is not wrong. Arif Mohammad Khan urged that his martyrdom day be observed every year on 30th August.