Abdul Bari Masoud | Caravan Daily
NEW DELHI – Ever since the Supreme Court wrapped up the high voltage hearing in the 70-year-old “politically and communally” sensitive Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi title dispute case on October 17, entire nation as also the world is waiting with bated breath for the judgment expected any time before November 17.
Needless to say, the judgment will have far-reaching implications as the Muslim parties have rightly underlined, “The decision by this court, whichever way it goes, will impact future generations. It will also have consequences for the polity of this country. This court’s decision may impact the minds of millions who are citizens of this country and who believe in constitutional values embraced by all when India was declared a republic on January 26, 1950.”
Indeed, it was a trivial matter in the beginning had it been nipped in the bud. If idols were removed from the Babri Masjid when they were surreptitiously placed inside the mosque in the winter night of December 1949, the controversy would have died down at the very early stage as the FIR itself clearly noted “surreptitious installation of idols” in the historic mosque, which was built by the Mughal emperor, Babur’s army general, Mir Baqui, in 1528.
After the partition of the country, mentality of triumphalism coupled with cheap and communal politics made the Ayodhya dispute complicated and sensitive which also took a heavy toll of life and properties worth thousands of crores till date. The so-called mandir issue was brought at centre-stage by the BJP after it got humiliating drubbing in the 1984 general elections. Till then, the issue was bereft of any emotive element to whip up sentiments of the gullible Hindu masses. There were very few takers for its parent Hindutva ideology.
According to noted lawyer, Rajeev Dhavan, who argued on behalf of the Muslim appellants in the apex court, “The Hindus stand hardened because a Nyas was created in 1985 which filed a suit in 1989 which consisted of RSS, VHP, Sants, politicians and retired judges. By this time, Ayodhya is jampacked by huge amounts of money and muscle. Many temples were created which amassed wealth and had several goondas who spread violence there.”
It became more strident and shriller after BJP leader L K Advani took out a Ram rathyatra on September 25, 1990 which was basically meant to counter the implementation of the Mandal Commission report which recommended enhanced reservation quota for OBCs in the government employment and educational institutions.
The yatra left a gory trail of death and destruction behind in many parts of the country. The BJP and its affiliates, VHP, Bajrang Dal’s shrill campaign “Saugandh Ram ki Khaate Hain, Mandir Wahin Banaayenga” (We pledge in the name of Ram to build the temple there), culminated in the demolition of the mosque in December 1992. After razing the mosque in broad daylight under the heavy presence of security forces, an makeshift Ram mandir was erected on the site.
Recalling the origin of this so-called Masjid-Mandir controversy, All India Muslim Personal Law Board’s Babri Masjid Committee convener, Dr SQR ILyas told Caravan Daily that the Babri masjid was never in contention before 1947. Nobody had even claimed that it was built after demolishing a mandir.
Even poet Goswami Tulsidas, who was born in 1532 just after the Babri masjid was built and died in 1623, did not mention the demolition of any temple, leave alone Ram mandir, in his classic epic Ramcharitmanas. One more point, Dr Ilyas flagged that no mandir was built in the name of Ram before the Ramcharitmanas was written as prior to it the people revered him as just a noble king, not the avatar or incarnation of God.
The timeline also proved this point. During the reign of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Awadh in 1853, the Nirmohi Akhara wanted permission to worship at a chaubutra (platform) near the mosque where idols were installed and in 1885, Faizabad district court judge who was a Brahmin, rejected the plea of Mahant Raghubir Das for building a canopy over Ram Chabootra ruling that it would disturb prayers in the mosque.
In 1949, idols were placed inside the mosque. Then, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru took a firm stand on the illegal installation of the idols and insisted they be removed from the mosque. But the district magistrate, KK Nair known for his Hindu nationalist credentials, refused to carry out the orders claiming that it would lead to communal riots.
