Babri Masjid demolition: 24 years of pain, agony and struggle

On 6^th December 1992, exactly twenty four years back thousands of bitter memories were notoriously knitted in Indian history, when the mob of fundamentalists (Kar Sevaks) moved towards the city Ayodhya and demolished the 400 year old historical mosque claiming it to be the sacred birth place of Ram (Hindu mythological God). The kar sevaks had intention to build Ram Mandir at the very site, but immediately the event was followed by the massive clashes which erupted  in different parts of India where more than two thousand people lost their lives, among which 900 died during the Mumbai riots. Here the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts are also considered the consequence of demolition.

The Babri Masjid demolition proved a turmoil which disrupts the communal harmony and invisibly draws a separate line between both communities. Basically the Hindu fanatics strongly believed that the Babri masjid was originally built on the order of first Mughal Emperor Babar, after demolishing the pre-existing Hindu Ram temple; while Muslims and other historians have denied any such claims and didn’t find historical evidence regarding the existence of Hindu temple. The event occurred on unconstitutional ground and raised a huge question mark on Indian democratic structure which ensures several fundamental rights to the minorities, in which Article-25 of Indian constitution which guarantees the freedom of religion is notable one.

The legal history of Babri dispute could be traced since 1857; when the Chabutara was constituted inside the mosque premises with a claim of Ram Janmsthaan on which the Nawab of Awadh allow both the community to worship in separate hours. The Legal dispute came into existence on January 1885 when the head priest (Mahant) filed a civil suit in the court of Sub-Judge, of Faizabad  seeking permission to build a temple on chabutra, but the plea was rejected on which the priest submitted an appeal in 1886 to the District Court, which also dismissed after the inspection of mosque.

In post independence era the issue again caught fire and the process of legal battle began. The statue of Ram, Sita and laxman has been kept inside the mosque premises, and a large mob assembled to hack the glimpse of deities. The court decided to maintain the status quo and locked the gates of disputed land later, which was reopened again in 1986; in response the Sunni Waqf board filed a fresh petition against the court order and the Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court issued an interim direction to maintain status quo regarding the disputed land. The fresh turmoil began with the setup of foundation stone of Ram temple by the Hindu fundamentalists on 9 November 1989, and that was the beginning of Kar Sewa which executed the demolition of Babri Masjid.

Unfortunately, after the 24 years of long wait not even a single culprit is behind the bars and instead roaming freely after having butchered hundreds of innocent lives in the name of religion. Post incidence the government of Narsima Rao formed Liberahan Commission to investigate the entire event, but after 16 years of investigation and wastage of hefty amount, the culprits were easily able to get the clean chit.

The final judgment from the Allahabad court came on 30 September 2010, where the court ruled that the disputed land would be divided into three parts, one third going to the Hindu Maha Sabha represented the Ram Lalla, one third to Sunni Waqf Board and the rest to Nirmohi Akhada including Ram Chabutara and Sitaki Rasoi. The judgment is considered as totally biased and one sided in favor of Hindus.

Since 1992, every year Indian Muslim peacefully mourns and observes 6 December as “Black day” to show their grief and anger through wearing black bands on their heads and by hoisting black flags, while the Hindu Right wing celebrates 6 December as “Shourya Divas” (victory day) with a notion to present the opposition and to urge religious sentiments.

Basically, the Babri Masjid Demolition was not less than an anathema to Indian social integrity, the poisonous seeds were originally sown by few fanatics but reaped by thousands of innocent families who are still living in mental distress and bearing the pain of bitter memories. In hope of justice few plaintiff of Babri masjid passes away, while others are surviving and desperately waiting for final verdict.