Reviewed
by ASIF ANWAR ALIG
AYODHYA:
6 December 1992, by P.V. Narasimha Rao, Penguin Books India Pvt., Limited, 11,
Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New
Delhi- 110 017( India), pp317, Indian Rupees 395/-, Hard.
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The Book, Ayodhya: 06 December 1992 |
ndian
democracy encountered its first crackdown on December 06, 1992, ever since the
inception of its constitution, with the demolition of the historical Babri
Masjid. The monument remained bone of contention between both the Muslim and
Hindu community leaders since the nation was readying itself for independence
from the British rule. It was a religious movement turned political revolution
turned chauvinism that resulted into gothic vandalism. Its consequences were
religious intolerance that earmarked the Indian democracy to see its vault face
more than a decade ago.
The Ram
Janam Bhoomi Movement indeed instigated hatred and destined India to be a
failed state. While the hooligans were giving final touches to their plans they
were about to furnish their modus operandi.
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Reviewer Asif Anwar Alig |
They knew that the center and the
state governments were in hallucination, in tiffs that seemed not to be
resolved amicably. Both the governments lingered into the delinquent legal
complexities, obeying the federal democracy of the nation while the kar sewaks
did their work peacefully because in this case U.P’s the then state government
proved more prudent.
Ironically,
even after encountering this biggest setback Indian democracy is acknowledged
as one of the second largest political systems in the world.
With the secular
intention in its nature and practicality unlike what is usually being projected
on occasions is a matter of doubt and prejudice. Religious
sanctum sanctum is pivotal in the lands of believers so does India that has
been skewed upon the mammoth fancies of sentimentalism. India is graded as one
of the mysterious lands in the history of religions because it is the only
country that accommodates unaccountable religions of the world.
Interestingly
the constitution of India claims that religion doesn’t play any role in the
political anecdotes of the state unlike its generosity towards religious
harmony for its inhabitants. But the country hasn’t developed any effective
mechanism of governance without the equal share of its religions—in the absence
of this clause.
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Babri Masjid on the day of demolition |
eligion
still has a say in Indian politics applied through unique means like
politicizing it, seeding the pillars of communalism rooted upon religious
disharmonies and et al. It depicted on December 06, 1992 when politics equally
shared with the religious hatred. Religion has no role to play either in the
governance or in the constitutional processes still it was brought into fore at
the center stage to mobilize a community against another for reaching the
corridors of power by the right wing politicians under the guise of Hindutva
cause.
The
darkest phase of India’s history and the utter shame its democratic governance
promulgated on the day a particular group of believers chased the home of their
co-inhabitant’s God by invading their matter of faith through vandalizing it
belonging to the Muslims was a cowardice act acknowledged as a crusade against
this minority community. Hindus forcefully entered into the home of their
rival’s God Babri Masjid, hijacked it, broke down the essence of faith,
liquidated the ascent of unity in diversity and demolished the structure as per
their plan merely to accommodate their own God that was, their religious
leaders claim, homeless since birth. To their records and a matter of
coincidence the Hindu God was born at the same place thousands of centuries ago
(exact data and its authenticity is still doubtful) where the mosque was
constructed in the Mughal era.
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Former Indian Prime Minister P.V Narasimha Rao |
The
kar sewaks ravaged the monument that was one of the finest examples of Mughal
artistry. Babur might haven’t read the history of the birth of Hindu God if he
would have studied it he could have surely changed his plans.
The
demolition of Babri Masjid was the single political mistake of the then ruling
Congress party and its leader P.V Narasimha Rao who is the author of this book Ayodhya:
06 December 1992. The sad incident left the Indian democracy into
catch22situation. On the wake of the state and central government’s tussle the
demolition act was the biggest breakthrough of communalism in the democratic
system of governance of India.
While the mosque was demolished the central
government was unable to save it, agrees Narasimha Rao and confesses through
this posthumously released book, because of the constitutional perplexity
complied the then Congress government at the center to obey the constitution
and remain a silent spectator: a puppet in the hands of democracy.
The
outcome was dearer to the Congress party that could have done extra
constitutional efforts to save the historical mosque. This mistake doomed its
political fortune in the years to come. The demolition of Babri Masjid by the
kar sewaks was not merely rooted upon a biased sentimentalism but a brainchild
of a hidden motive that has already been seen by all post demolition. The
sentimentalism provoked the seeds of the communal politics in India. It
strengthened the rightist politics and its ambition to materialize its
political aspirations rooted upon the Hindu sentimentalism, which paved the way
for their access to the corridors of power.
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Former UP Chief Minister Kalyan Singh |
The book
under review, Ayodhya: 6 December 1992 is a political confession. Though
it sums count-by-count details of an array of the events that proved as an Achilles
hill for the secular fabric of India, it also notes a bizarre historical
narration intended upon an honest escapism by the author P. V Narasimha Rao
under whose premiership the demolition act was carried upon. The book notes in
brief an entire chronology of the historical mistakes that turned into biggest
political blunder of the Indian democracy on December 06, 1992. Rao wrote this
book in the mid 90’s when he stepped down as prime minister, and it is published
posthumously as per his wishes.
The
book, being a confession note, is the key to understand one of the major
political moments of the modern Indian history. It recounts the intricacies and
dangers of exploiting religious sentiments for a narrow political benefit that
was being used by the perpetrators of disharmony.
Through
reproducing major and minor court decisions on Babri Masjid and the
communication that Rao had with the then chief minister of U.P. Mr. Kalyan
Sigh, as Rao claims, the state government had assured the Home Ministry which
he brought into the attention of all concerned and Rao declared that he was
stick to the constitutional hypothesis. Rao confesses in the pages of the book
that he emphatically tried to save Babri Masjid but failed, which was a biggest
setback for him in particular and the Congress party in general. He reprints
the dialogues between both the community leaders, who were adamant to their
rhetoric. The issue, as he explains, burgled on the egos of Hindus and Muslims
but no amicable solution was seen because of the stubbornness of both the
communities.
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government, since independence, could sort out the dilemma of Babri Masjid
until it was demolished in Rao’s regime. This book has a detailed note on the
steps taken by the central governments prior to him and the role of the state
governments on this matter. By reproducing the evidences and the chronology of
events since December 23, 1949 till December 06, 1992, Rao draws a sympathetic
approach towards the Muslim community.
P. V.
Narasimha Rao’s posthumous concerns for the minorities are aimed to prove
himself a scapegoat of the political bigotries and proves that not him but the
then chief minister of U.P., Kalyan Singh be blamed for this saddest happening
that shattered the image of India. Mr. Singh was the part of a hidden plot that
was being solely politicized to make mockery of the constitution, politics,
emotion, sentimentalism and Hinduism at par.
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Recent issue of Eastern Crescent Magazine |
This
book details the leanings and hidden motives of a shaken leadership. The
dubious role played by the then chief minister of U.P Mr. Kalyan Singh is
proved. Still there is ample scope to read between the lines on why Rao should
not be blamed as an equal preparatory instrument for according the motives of
the Hindu mindset.
This political blunder was the part of the dark phase of
Indian polity that saw its dead face on the constitutional corpse when the
intruders of humanity mishandled religion.
Rao has
tried to justify his stand but still the readers have enough scope to look
beyond his words and confessions.
1 comment:
Ich entschuldige mich, aber meiner Meinung nach sind Sie nicht recht.
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