 |
| Jinnah Tower, Guntur, Andhra state. en.wikipedia.org |
 |
| Mr. Jinnah and Jinnah Tower,Guntur,Andhra Greatandhra.com |
Jinnah Tower exhibits a typical Muslim architecture with a dome atop the tower supported by six well-built pillars. Like other monuments across India, it is poorly being maintained and negligence is writ on this historical structure and in some places it is crumbling. It is said that efforts were made to repair and restore this tower dedicated to a man who was, in his early stages, worked hard for the Hindu-Muslim unity and whose family came from Gujarat.
How the tower came into being is matter for
discussion and there are two versions to it. During the pre-independence day, Jinnah's representative one Judaliyaquat Ali Khan visited Gunter and as part of felicitation, Lal Jan Basha, grand father of Telugu Desam party leader S. M. Laljan Basha, had the tower built in honor of Mohd. Ali Jinnah. The other version being, two Municipal Chairman, Nadimpalli Narasimha Rao and Tellakula Jalayya , during their tenure, were instrumental in building this tower as a symbol of harmony and peace. But,it hangs in the thin air like LA fog and it is a reality we ought to face!!
According to many people Gunter city has nothing to do with Mr. Jinnah, the man after whom the tower was named and who split the subcontinent and, in the aftermath of independence, several lakhs of innocent refugees died in the name of religion during trans migration across the border. How can you consider this tower as a symbol of peace and harmony? Putting aside the past dark days, some argue, that this monument needs restoration to preserve its heritage.
 |
| Maps of India |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jinnah_Tower
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/Jinnah-Tower-in-a-state-of-neglect/article1