Maulana Mazharul Haque and (bottom) his house in ruins. Telegraph pictures

Siwan, Dec. 23: Spread over 32 bighas, the structure is a poor reflection of a glorious past.

Located 12km from the district headquarters in Siwan, Aashiyana was once the palace of Maulana Mazharul Haque — journalist, symbol of communal harmony and a great freedom fighter.

Reduced to ruins, the house today is remembered only once in a year, on December 22, which is Maulana’s birthday. This year, the anniversary passed without much happening on the premises and politicians’ promises of preservation got another one year of extension.

Aashiyana is located at Faridpur village under Hussainganj block in Siwan district. The historic building is in a dilapidated state. Its walls are crumbling and the premises are covered with wild, thorny bushes. Even the road leading to the house is broken and potholed.

Several promises have been made for the renovation of the building. But they have turned out to be mere words. Nothing has been done so far.

The announcement by the state government to develop this place into a tourist spot remains a far cry.

In the 18th century, Aashiyana was the centre for freedom fighters. Many nationalists, including Dr Rajendra Prasad and Mahatma Gandhi, frequented this place.

Maulana, who studied with Gandhi in England, was of the strong view that “Hum Hindu hon ya Musalman, ek hi kashti ke musafir hain, dubenge to saath, utarenge to saath (Hindu or Muslim, we are boarders of the same ship, we will drown together or sail together)”.

Dr Rajendra Prasad’s book India Divided talks about Maulana’s commitment to freedom struggle. He wrote that Maulana was a “devout Muslim, a staunch nationalist and a passionate patriot who preferred service and sacrifice to ease and comfort, poverty to plenty, prison to palace”.

“Every year on Maulana’s birth anniversary, some government officials visit this place to show honour. It is only a routine practice,” said Abdul Faruqui, Maulana’s grandson.

“Zamana guzar gaya ab dekhne wala kaun hai. Aashiyana ki eit-eit bikhar rahi hai, marammat nahi kara pa raha huun. Baccho ki padhai bhi nahi kara pa raha hun. Akhbaron me chhapta hai, ghoshnayen hoti hain, lekin hakeeqat me kuch nahi hota (Times have changed. Today, there is no one to look after Aashiyana. The building is crumbling. Let alone repairing it, I can’t even send my children to school. Media highlights the poor condition, announcements are made but in reality nothing is done),” he said.

He pointed out that the announcement of making a memorial for Maulana is yet to take shape. “Three years ago, some minister had visited the premises on December 22, but he had leave abruptly following protests by some people here. They told him that the government can only do lip service,” he said.

Maulana had donated his house Sadaqat Aashram in Patna to the Congress and after retirement Dr Rajendra Prasad preferred to stay here.

Maulana started two newspapers — The Motherland and Modern Bihar — and served greatly to the cause of the freedom and communal harmony.

Adjacent to Aashiyana is a silk project sprawled over ten acres, but even that has a same story to tell. Several projects were undertaken to acquaint local farmers with sericulture and silk production. The objective was to make the farmers self-sufficient. For the past 15 years, this has been lying idle. There are 12 employees and an in-charge of the project on whom lakhs of rupees are spent per month as establishment cost.