NEW DELHI: Pakistan's acting Chief Justice-designate Rana Bhagwandas, a central figure in the political maelstrom unleashed after the ouster of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary, has been located at a spiritual retreat in Uttar Pradesh.

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf had announced that Justice Bhagwandas, who is slated to participate in the hearings on corruption allegations against Justice Chaudhary, would take the oath of office on his return from a personal visit to India. However, his failure to return to the country in the midst of a nationwide political crisis led Opposition leaders to allege that the Pakistan Government's claim that the judge was in India was untrue. However, Justice Bhagwandas has now been traced to Lucknow, where he has been attending a satsang led by the Lucknow-based mystic Neelu Bhagwan.

Sources in the Lucknow police confirmed that Justice Bhagwandasalso visited the Asuda Das Ashram on the occasion of Cheti Chand, the most important event in the ethnic Sindhi community's religious calendar.

While In Lucknow, Justice Bhagwandas has been hosted by the Ram Advani family, which owns a prominent city landmark — the Advani Book Store dealing in rare and antique books. Like Ms. Bhagwan's satsang, the Advani Book Store is located in Lalbag, near the Halwasia Chowk area. The area is home to many of Lucknow's ethnic Sindhi families, some of which came to India as Partition refugees.

Authorities in New Delhi had expected that Justice Bhagwandas would travel to Lahore on Monday by Pakistan International Airlines flight 271 or 273. However, airport sources confirmed that he did not board either flight. PIA does not operate flights from New Delhi to Pakistan on Tuesdays, so Justice Bhagwandas is likely to be in India till at least Wednesday — the day before his leave of absence ends.

No travel curbs

Both India and Pakistan have, in reciprocal courtesy, exempted high dignitaries from the travel restrictions faced by ordinary visitors. Justice Bhagwandas was not obliged to report his presence in Lucknow to the police. Uttar Pradesh police sources said Lucknow's Criminal Investigation Department succeeded in tracing the judge only on Sunday, after which discreet protective arrangements were put in place.

Interestingly, his last visit to the Lucknow satsang also became a source of political controversy. In March 2006, he arrived, along with his family, by the Lahore-Amritsar bus, hoping to catch an onward train to Lucknow. However, his family was refused permission to halt in the city, forcing it to return to Pakistan, and travel to Lucknow three days later via New Delhi.

Spiritual concerns

While Pakistan's Opposition may be irate at Justice Bhagwandas' priorities, his faith holds out interesting lessons for the India-Pakistan peace process. Cheti Chand marks the birthday of the community's most venerated religious figure Ishtadeva Uderolal Jhulelal. In popular Sindhi legend, Uderolal protected Sindh's Hindus from persecution at the hands of the 10th century tyrant Mirkshah.

Uderolal — also known by the names Darya Shah and Amarlal — is a central figure in the Indus valley's syncretic river cults, which fuse elements of folk Islam and Hinduism. In a 2002 article on the cult of Uderolal, the Pakistani architect and scholar Muralidhar Dawani noted, "Not only are the same saints venerated by followers of both religions but often each community has its own name for these saints." Built out of Mughal emperor Shah Jehan's personal interest, the construction of the Uderolal shrine near Sukkur began in 1646.

It houses the saint's mausoleum as well as a mosque and a temple, used by both Hindus and Muslims during fairs and festivals.

Like similar syncretic traditions in South Asia, the river cults of the Indus valley have, however, attracted the wrath of religious fundamentalists in recent years.

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