BABRI MASJID
Congress(I) Leader Jagan Nath Mishra on Babari Masjid Question
What happened on 6 December 1992 was a National Shame for our entire political system. All the national, secular parties are equally responsible for this. The non-Congress secular parties cannot absolve themselves of the responsibility of failure to protect Babari Masjid. The Congress government and its leadership are equally responsible for this. This is apolitical issue which has to be resolved politically. The Supreme Court in its judgement in October, 1994 had refused to advise the president on this sensitive issue on the grounds of super flousness - and its purpose not being secular (as per minority judgement) leaves the issue as and where it was before 6th December, 1992. This judgement made the political leadership of the country more responsive towards this sensitive issue which threatened national integration and unity of our vast polity. Litigation and civil suit being time-consuming, a solution to this vexed and sensitive issue has to be found by the political parties committed to secularism. The political parties have hardly been sincere and honest to this political issue, because all political parties have been vague on this issue. Even the JD and left parties’ who boast of being secular have not made their stand clear on this issue.
Only talking of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawahar LalNehru and Indira Gandhi's legacy will not satisfy and convince the Muslim community whose feeling had been deeply hurt. The Indian National Congress which gave the country a constitution and laid the infrastructure bears the responsibility of keeping the country united but this onerous task cannot be achieved all by itself. Therefore, now is the time for the Congress and other secular political parties to come together. They must put their heads together and find an honourable solution to this vexed and lingering problem.
No doubt, such a political adventure was fraught with dangerous consequences in terms of vote and in terms of state power. But there are things of much greater significance than political power in human history. May be one section would get antagonised and vote Congress out of power. That, however, should not and must not deter it from fulfilling the task designed to it by history. The Congress may not come to power for one or two terms but sacrifices made by it in defence of secularism shall never be forgotten. And that will be the Congress's greatest strength. If secularism is lost, democracy may not be able to stand the test of the time.
I had made a fervent appeal on 24th December, 1992 in the Congress Working Committee that the minority community's faith and commitment cannot be restored unless political determination is demonstrated through such measures. I call upon all secular parties to agree to reconstruct Babari Masjid at Ayodhya at the same place where it was situated with a view to assuaging the hurt sentiments of Muslims and protecting, preserving and defending secularism, the essence of the Indian Constitution. Only talking and preaching secularism will not bring the minority community in the main stream of national life. They have to be satisfied that their interests as guaranteed under the Constitution were being well protecting.
Ayodhya's Long Shadow in Lok Sabha Saroj Nagi's Report in the Hindustan Times,
7 December, 1996
It was a week of the long knives in the Lok Sabha with the fourth anniversary of the demolition of the Babari Masjid on December 6 casting its long and dark shadow over the proceedings. Even as the focus remained on the BJP, with the non-BJP forces joining hands to corner it, each party attacked the other at the first opportunity. The week. President's Rule in UP. culminated in the bitterness associated with the demolition in Ayodhya.
Not surprisingly, the House arraigned itself into the BJP and the anti-BJP forces, with each side vociferously expounding its views without convincing the other.
While the Left, the UF, the Congress and some BSP members demanded that the House condemn the "shame" which "blackened the face of India", a volatile BJP stoutly resisted every such attempt and description. Indeed, Ms. Uma Bharati, the BJP's star campaigner for a Ram temple at the disputed site, called for the declaration of December 6 as a national holiday - to the background chants of mandir vahin banayenge and Mathura, Kashi baki hai - sparking off a furore, even as her party's allies, the Samata and the Akalis, maintained a discreet silence. Interestingly, Leader of Opposition in the House, A.B. Vajpayee, whose initial reaction to the demolition was one of regret, was conspicuous by his absence.
Government Statement On Inquiry Commission on Babari Masjid
The Commission of Inquiry on the Demolition of the Babari Masjid in December, 1992, has not submitted its report. On the basis of the investigations carried out by it into the offences connected with the demolition of the disputed structure on 6 December 1992, etc., CBI had filed a combined chargesheet against 40 persons before the Special Court at Lucknow. All these cases have been committed for trial to the Court of Special Additional Session Judge, Lucknow.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vaghela On Demolition of Babari Masjid
In the BJP all were agreed against precipitating demolition of the Babari structure in Ayodhya. It was the VHP's agenda adopted by BJP. The Muslims could have been persuaded to shift the mosque elsewhere but the issue was allowed to snowball into a Hindu-Muslim question.
Shahabuddin's Letter, 15 November, 1996
Please accept my sincere felicitations on your assumption of office as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. I wish you every success.
The RSS Weekly, the Organiser has quoted you to say on the question of Babari Masjid: "In the BJP all were agreed against precipitating demolition of the Babari structure in Ayodhya. It was the VHP's agenda adopted by BJP. The Muslims could have been persuaded to shift the mosque elsewhere but the issue was allowed to snowball into a Hindu-Muslim question".
Since the adoption of the Palanpur Resolution, Ram Janambhoomi Question was very much on the agenda of the BJP also. In any case no responsible Muslim leader or organisation, was prepared to "shift" the Babari Masjid, unless either there was a judicial verdict against them on the question of title to the Masjid and its site or unless the Ram Janambhoomi Movement provided scriptural evidence that the Babari Masjid site was the birth site of Lord Rama and that a Ram Janamasthan Mandir stood on the site in 1528 and was demolished to build the Babari Masjid on its place. Since the Babari Masjid has been unlawfully demolished, the first thing is to restore it and then wait for the judicial verdict, if the rule of law has any In any case the Muslim community has resigned itself today to wait for the judicial decision so long as no permanent structure is constructed on the site. This is for your background information.
Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam's Statement on Babari Masjid, Madras, 6 December,1996
Braving police harassment and stern warning issued by the Chief Minister Karunanidhi, about ten thousand Muslims defied the ban orders and attempted to go in procession to Raj Bhavan at Chennai to perform Friday prayer. The call for Friday prayer at Raj Bhavan was given (to mark) the 4th anniversary of the demolition of Babari Masjid at Ayodhya to demand the reconstruction of Babari Masjid at the original site.
The procession was led by Moulvi P. Zainul Abideen, Organiser of the Kazhagam.
Police arrested the protestors when they defied the ban orders and confined them in Rajaratnam Stadium where they performed the Friday prayer. Inspite of the preventive arrest throughout the state and other excesses, more than 20,000 Muslims participated, to remind the countrymen the duty they owe to their minority brethren.
Gautam Navlakha's Statement On 4th Anniversary of the Demolition The Times of India, 6 December, 1996
On this day four-years ago the BJP and its ilk demolished the Babari Masjid in brazen disregard of their constitutional responsibility and sworn affidavits before the Supreme Court.
This act to divide the people brought the country close to a civil war. Despite all this, neither the Congress government nor the United Front government, which swears by secularism, have done much by way of bringing the guilty to book.
The CBI filed its case ten months after the event in October 1993. But three years later, charges have yet to be framed. Indeed the special sessions court has seen judges come and go and for months together has been without a judge.
The Justice Liberhans Commission of Inquiry set up by the Government in December 1992 has yet to complete its inquiry. Nor has the Supreme Court found the time to begin contempt proceedings against the BJP leaders and officials who submitted false affidavits in November, 1992. And the media, singled out for attack during the demolition, has not bothered to find out why - despite investigations by the IPS officer, Ms. Poornima Singh - no cases have been filed against the guilty.
The absence of justice and non-restoration of the property belonging to the Ayodhya Muslims illegally usurped in December 1949, are a reminder that our government believes only in appeasing the saffron criminals. To talk of secularism under such circumstances is shameful.
Kaleem Kawaja on Babari Masjid
The fourth anniversary of the demolition of the Babari Mosque in Ayodhya is upon us. In these four years nothing has been done to ease the pain and anguish caused by the biggest blow to democracy and secularism in India by the lumpen and communalist elements on December 6, 1992. The secular centrist parties are silent. They perceive it as too thorny an issue. The government who promised to the Indian Muslims the reconstruction of the Mosque has retracted from its commitment.
But for the Muslims of India, the Babari Masjid remains the powerful symbol of a real issue. For them it symbolizes the question of their security. Secularists had cried out against a wrong done, to a minority community. Indian Muslims had cried out in fear for their very survival
As long as no action is taken against those who were responsible for the (destruction and the) anti-Muslim violence in December, 1992, and those who continue to intimidate and threaten Muslims, Babri Masjid will live in the minds of the Muslims in India.