Why can't India just move on with it man? When are we gonna stop wailing about some maniacs demolishing a medieval mosque that remained neglected and dysfunctional for decades?! Past is past, gone is gone, why unnecessarily fret over a dead corpse?!
It all occurred 17 years ago, lot of water has flowed under the bridge. Times have changed, India is socio-economically and culturally entirely different from that Jurassic era, politically as well. We are now a vibrant economy, very much young and agile, and the young generation despises the kind of divisive politics that Sangh Parivar practices (not because gen-X prefer the ideals of Ahimsa and pluralism, but they are worried lest the Sensex would come down!). Even the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) themselves think that the organization is out of sync with modern India.
Nowadays I am reading a lot of crap about Babri Masjid Demolition, in news papers, magazines, web sites, blogs and where-not! First it was the Justice Liberhan Commission Report being leaked to the press, later the tabling of the report in parliament along with the Action Taken Report which was, obviously, full of inaction. As the anniversary of the event neared, the hullabaloo created by the media was becoming a headache. We need to learn lessons from the past and move on, try to never repeat the mistakes again.
Nowadays I am reading a lot of crap about Babri Masjid Demolition, in news papers, magazines, web sites, blogs and where-not! First it was the Justice Liberhan Commission Report being leaked to the press, later the tabling of the report in parliament along with the Action Taken Report which was, obviously, full of inaction. As the anniversary of the event neared, the hullabaloo created by the media was becoming a headache. We need to learn lessons from the past and move on, try to never repeat the mistakes again.
That brings us to the point: Mistakes! What were the mistakes, who committed them? Demolishing the structure was a big mistake, but not the biggest. Wasn't the structure an ancient, historical monument representative of the rich and diverse Indian culture, whether a temple or a mosque? Is it not the duty of a good citizen of the Republic of India to protect and preserve our national heritage?! Ok, so be it, if it's useless for the saviors of Indian culture and heritage (read Sangh Parivar), let it fall. The governments, both at the state and the centre failed to prevent the incident. "Nero playing the fiddle while Rome burned", was the analogy used by political pundits to describe the then Prime Minister of India, PV Narasimha Rao's conspicuous inaction. He had committed the mistake of scuttling the confidence of people of India by doing nothing to prevent the demolition or the bloody riots that followed as an aftermath (some office bearers of the Indian National Congress opined recently that Rao government should have intervened in time to prevent the demolition). A fact very conveniently ignored by Justice MS Liberhan!
Who was responsible for dividing the general public on communal lines on the false premise of a Ram Temple existing at the disputed site before Babur built a mosque there? Who kept the pluralistic Indian society on toe-nails for years on end by a campaign of hate and division in the name of Ram Janma Bhoomi and building a temple there which actually started functioning in 1949 itself?! Liberhan might have said Lal Krishna Advani and Sangh Parivar, with which people generally tend to agree. Yes, but for me! For me, the first and foremost culprit is Mr. Mask, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the former Prime Minister of India, himself. Who else has portrayed the role of the mask with such verve and enthusiasm other than him (exempting of course, Mr. Jim Carrey!)? Vajpayeeji was the soft, secular face of the BJP and only because of him they could cobble-up an alliance of pseudo-secular, opportunistic regional parties to rule the country. All the laboratory experiments later conducted by Sangh Parivar in parts like Gujarath, Orissa or Karnataka owe their success hugely to the mask and the charismatic power he wielded over the hearts of poor, unsuspecting Indians.
Did the Supreme Court commit mistakes? Let's not discuss it much as its not regarded prudent. In spite of that, I wonder what happened to the affidavits filed in the Supreme Court by Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Uttar Pradesh government of that time! VHP is still very much alive several years since the blatant violation of an affidavit filed before the supreme pedestal of the judiciary of India. Court always had a significant role to play: whether it be in 1949 when District Magistrate KK Nair (who later became a Jansangh - predecessor of BJP - MP) refused to obey prime minister Nehru's directive to remove idols from the mosque, or in 1986 when full access for worship to Hindus was given.
What was the mistake the common man committed? He led himself into believing that a grand Ram Temple, which would out marvel every other Hindu temple in the world, is soon going to be built at the exact place of birth of Lord Shri Ramachandra, seventh human incarnation of the Hindu god Maha Vishnu. The common men were told that once the BJP is voted to power, the first thing they are going to do is build the temple, second introduce uniform civil code and revoke the special powers accorded on the state of Jammu & Kashmir. And thats what they did, voted BJP to rule India as they very successfully managed to do!
What did the Muslims do? They were blinded by rage and hideous propaganda. Who preaches idolatry in Islam? Isn't it idolatry to worship a building which used to function as a mosque decades back? My understanding of Islam tells me that a mosque is only a building where people gather to offer prayers to the almighty Allah. Importance of that place of worship, if there is any, is nullified as and when worship stops there. In Islam, nothing other than Allah is to be worshiped; no idols, no pictures, no religious symbols, no tombs nor masjids are to be revered or worshiped. Then, why did the Muslim religious leaders in India remain stubborn when the issue of Ram's birth place originated? A single master stroke from the part of Indian Muslims would have left the Sangh Parivar naked and weaponless out in the open. That golden chance is still there; even after so much blood-shed and violence, the issue is still burning. It will be like pouring water over the raging fire if the Muslim community decide to hand-over the disputed structure to Hindus for a grand Ram temple to be built there, which will remain for eternity as a symbol of the religious harmony and pluralistic ethos of Indian culture, wonderful testimony to a great sacrifice! As rumours stand, a similar move was on the cards even before the now-infamous Rath started rolling from Somnath in September 1990. According to political observers, it was sabotaged only because of non-cooperation of the then Shahi Imam of Delhi Juma Masjid.
What followed the demolition was also the darkest blot on the face of Islam in India. Fighting for faith is acceptable, did the prophet teach you to fight for a building which was of no relevance to the community?! Indian Muslims would never really be able to shake-off the burden of responsibility for the severe blood-shed and riots that followed in different parts of the country after the demolition of the disputed structure.
We cannot forget the heinous spate of violence and communal blood-letting that followed the trail of Advani's air-conditioned Rath or the equally despicable acts of terror and violence that erupted all over the country after the razing down of the three domes of the masjid. In spite of that, why can't we at least try!! India forgot the Partition and the sufferings it brought, we forgot the shaking of the earth when the big tree fell; why are we not able to forget this one?! Liberhan has pulled out the last nails on the coffin of bitter truths that we were already aware of, and everybody knows that a spade is a spade, whatever you may chose to call it.
What was the mistake the common man committed? He led himself into believing that a grand Ram Temple, which would out marvel every other Hindu temple in the world, is soon going to be built at the exact place of birth of Lord Shri Ramachandra, seventh human incarnation of the Hindu god Maha Vishnu. The common men were told that once the BJP is voted to power, the first thing they are going to do is build the temple, second introduce uniform civil code and revoke the special powers accorded on the state of Jammu & Kashmir. And thats what they did, voted BJP to rule India as they very successfully managed to do!
What did the Muslims do? They were blinded by rage and hideous propaganda. Who preaches idolatry in Islam? Isn't it idolatry to worship a building which used to function as a mosque decades back? My understanding of Islam tells me that a mosque is only a building where people gather to offer prayers to the almighty Allah. Importance of that place of worship, if there is any, is nullified as and when worship stops there. In Islam, nothing other than Allah is to be worshiped; no idols, no pictures, no religious symbols, no tombs nor masjids are to be revered or worshiped. Then, why did the Muslim religious leaders in India remain stubborn when the issue of Ram's birth place originated? A single master stroke from the part of Indian Muslims would have left the Sangh Parivar naked and weaponless out in the open. That golden chance is still there; even after so much blood-shed and violence, the issue is still burning. It will be like pouring water over the raging fire if the Muslim community decide to hand-over the disputed structure to Hindus for a grand Ram temple to be built there, which will remain for eternity as a symbol of the religious harmony and pluralistic ethos of Indian culture, wonderful testimony to a great sacrifice! As rumours stand, a similar move was on the cards even before the now-infamous Rath started rolling from Somnath in September 1990. According to political observers, it was sabotaged only because of non-cooperation of the then Shahi Imam of Delhi Juma Masjid.
What followed the demolition was also the darkest blot on the face of Islam in India. Fighting for faith is acceptable, did the prophet teach you to fight for a building which was of no relevance to the community?! Indian Muslims would never really be able to shake-off the burden of responsibility for the severe blood-shed and riots that followed in different parts of the country after the demolition of the disputed structure.
We cannot forget the heinous spate of violence and communal blood-letting that followed the trail of Advani's air-conditioned Rath or the equally despicable acts of terror and violence that erupted all over the country after the razing down of the three domes of the masjid. In spite of that, why can't we at least try!! India forgot the Partition and the sufferings it brought, we forgot the shaking of the earth when the big tree fell; why are we not able to forget this one?! Liberhan has pulled out the last nails on the coffin of bitter truths that we were already aware of, and everybody knows that a spade is a spade, whatever you may chose to call it.
I am happy to agree with RSS chief Mohan Rao Bhagwat atleast on this count when he says: "What has been said in the Liberhan report could have been said 17 years back without the wastage of time and money."
As the popular saying goes: Betrayed once, shame on them; Betrayed twice, shame on us!!
As the popular saying goes: Betrayed once, shame on them; Betrayed twice, shame on us!!
