Ayodhya, in sum, is a clear example of the indecisiveness of the Indian judiciary that allows cases to go on for ages, and of the vacillation and incompetence of the successive political establishments. The litigation relating to the Ayodhya Babri Masjid – Ram Janam Bhoomi dispute has remained static with courts for about seven decades – or a stretch of two generations. This despite the off-and-on belligerence on the part of one side in the dispute – the Hindutva forces – in the past nearly three decades. To expect that a last word could emerge from the court in the foreseeable future is to be foolish; and by all reckoning, an amicable settlement to the dispute is a mirage, given the present state of affairs. The fixing of a date for the hearing by the Supreme Court, in itself does not mean much. The case can still go on and on.
On the other hand, the RSS has begun building pressure on the government yet again to take matters forward. If the RSS has no faith in the judicial system showing the way forward, that is understandable because past experience has been such. Chances are that even if the apex court comes up with a clear ruling, the dust will not settle on the issue. As in the case of the Sabarimala temple issue now, it could lead to a mass upsurge from one side or the other, depending on the sum and substance of the order.
Political establishments, past and present, did not demonstrate their strength to settle the issue through the route of consensus-building. Neither the Congress-led governments nor the BJP-led dispensations took interest to build that consensus since each group wanted to make political capital out of the issue. The clever ploy on the part of successive governments was to buy time, postpone the matter to the extent possible, and allow the files to rest in the cold storages of courts. The Modi government is no exception despite the fact that its ideological powerhouse, the RSS, as also the other Hindutva outfits, were behind the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992 and carried forward the push for building a Ram temple in the same place.
The RSS now wants work for the Ram temple to start at the disputed site before the parliament elections are called. The idea appears to be to polarise the society further before the elections so that the BJP can take advantage. This is why Congress president Rahul Gandhi says the elections would not be fought by his party on this issue.