By Amulya Ganguli
While the charge of a conspiracy to bring down the Babri masjid on December 6, 1992, has been discounted by the CBI court which considered the issue, its observation that the demolition was the handiwork of anti-socials cannot be a matter of pride for the Sangh parivar.
What it means is that the entire Ramjanmabhoomi movement which paved the way for the BJP’s political resurgence, facilitating its transition from the margins of Indian politics to centre-stage, was based on the acts of dubious elements who are outside the pale of decent society.
Considering that large sections of the parivar regard the day when the historical “wrongs” of hundreds of years committed by the Muslim invaders were rectified, it can appear strange that this glorious task was undertaken by people who cannot generally be lauded.
Arguably, the BJP leaders who were present at the site of the Babri masjid on that day did try to pacify the mob and dissuade them from destroying the structure which L.K. Advani had described as an “ocular provocation”. According to Advani himself, who was one of the main accused, he asked his party colleagues, Uma Bharati and Pramod Mahajan, to urge the kar sevaks to come down from the mosque. But the demolishers did not listen.
This was the reason why Advani regarded the day as one of the “saddest” in his life because it signified a breakdown of the discipline which marked the way of functioning of the RSS. Even then, there is little doubt that these views about sadness and the collapse of discipline are virtually meaningless because of the political gains which the BJP has made from the unruly conduct of the mosque-breakers.
The closure of the case – unless there is an appeal – also means that the BJP can continue to benefit from the events of the supposedly “sad” day. The person who said it is now a nonentity in the party and the parivar, as are some of the others like Murli Manohar Joshi who were with him on the dais on the fateful day.
Having played their part in gathering the demolition squad near the targeted mosque, they can now walk into the sunset after having been absolved of the charge of conspiracy although it can be asked whether bringing together a crowd over which they obviously did not have any control can be justified.
Since the “ocular provocation” had been In danger ever since Advani embarked on his Somath-to-Ayodhya rath yatra in 1990, it is clear enough that the congregation of saffron cadres was a case of playing with fire. Even if there was no direct enticement from those who addressed the crowd and, indeed, asked them not to damage the place of worship, the danger was inherent in the situation. The responsibility of saving it was theirs.
It also has to be remembered that the tragic events of December 6 were only the second time in modern history when a political group belonging to one religious community attacked the place of worship of another community. The other occasion was when the Nazis burnt Jewish synagogues in Germany.
Just as the Nazis had benefited from their acts of desecration, the BJP has also gained. It goes without saying that this entire process is essentially based on the propagation of religious hate – against the Jews In the Germany of the 1930s and against Muslims in India at present.
Moreover, the latest judgment is unlikely to ring the curtains down on the question of targeting mosques. There may well be other instances of alleged conspiracies and of playing with fire, for the Babri masjid was not the parivar’s only target. There were, and still are, two others – the Mathura and Varanasi mosques.
It is worth noting that as the Ayodhya chapter is drawing to a close, a writ petition has already been filed in a Mathura court for the “liberation” of Krishna janmasthan in the city on the lines of the freeing of Lord Ram’s birthplace in Ayodhya. After all, one of the slogans at the time of the Ramjanmabhoomi movement was: yeh toh pehli jhatki hai, Kashi, Mathura baki hai. (This is only the first instalment, there are still Kashi (Varanasi) and Mathura to be freed).
It is no secret that the Ram temple card paid the BJP handsome political dividends. Will the party play the Mathura card if the going gets tough for it before the next general election ? Since temple politics is a key feature of the BJP’s tactics with its focus on arousing anti-Muslim sentiments, nothing can be ruled out. (IPA Service)