The nation is entitled to wonder why judicial probes are at all set up ... since they often receive short shrift from those who matter. This certainly appears to be the case with the Liberhan Commission, instituted to delve into ... the demolition of the Babari Masjid, by any reckoning a watershed development in our political and social life. Most people may fairly expect that all those connected with such a shocking episode will automatically queue up to tender evidence before a judicial commission ... But from experience we know that this usually remains a fond hope.

Thus, Kalyan Singh, who was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh when the demolition occurred, fails to show up before the Commission, using excuses which seem barely credible, although he has alleged a Sangh Parivar conspiracy to bring down the mosque. Among those who were distinctly unenthusiastic about offering evidence before the Commission is Prabhat Kumar, currently Union Cabinet Secretary, who was Principal Secretary (Home) in Lucknow in December 1992. The seniormost civil servant of the land did finally appear before the inquiry only after he was threatened with arrest! This will hardly cause surprise, for important political functionaries are still to share with the Commission what they know. In this  category are P.V. Narasimha Rao, Prime Minister at the time of the demolition, his Home Minister S.B: Chavan, not to mention L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma. Bharati and others who were present on the scene .... On the whole, there appears to be an unseen but conscious effort  to impede the progress of the investigation ...