The Demolition of Secularism in India

The Demolition of the Babri Masjid and its Aftermath


As old as the Mughal Empire, the Babri Masjid was a venerated place of worship for the Muslims. The first Mughal emperor, Babur looked after its construction and hence the temple got its name. Situated in the holy town of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, it had endured centuries of rain and rifts to stand strong for the worshippers. But on 6 December 1992 when some notorious Hindus climbed the mosque's domes, it was a matter of hours until the domes would fall and with it bring along the fall of secularism in India. 

Sacred Hindu texts assert that God Ram was born in the city of Ayodhya and the site of the mosque was the actual site of His birth. Though there is no evidence to prove these claims (as Ram is a mythological figure, not a historical one), it is further disputed that Babur destroyed a Hindu temple at that site and built a mosque. In 1948, as the desire for a Ram temple at his birthplace started becoming more prevalent and a more cohesive movement began, an idol of Ram was furtively placed inside the mosque chambers at night, and devotees were made to believe that divine forces made it appear. A local court ruled out an order which allowed the Hindus to pray to this idol only on a single day in December.

Three decades passed and the court's order was held until a Hindu chauvinist organization named the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) which translates to World Hindu Council came into the scene. It sought the liberation of Ram's birthplace from a 'Muslim jail'. A lawyer filed a suit in the court and soon the locks of the mosques were opened and Hindu devotees were allowed. A widespread belief is that the court's order was influenced by the Rajiv Gandhi government, who strove to gain the Hindu vote. 

VHP's aspirations were fuelled with this judgment and their next aim was - demolition of the mosque. The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), the nationalist RSS, the Bajrang Dal along with the VHP initiated a joint movement to claim the ownership of the 'Ramjanmbhoomi' (Ram's birthplace). BJP patriarch LK Advani spearheaded this mission with a chariot procession which mustered support from thousands. The day of 6th December 1992 was endorsed as the auspicious day for the commencement of the building of the temple. Thousands of kar sevaks began entering the town of Ayodhya and they were welcomed with open arms by the Chief Minister Kalyan Singh of the BJP. The central govt. began speculating an outbreak of violence and the army was stationed on the outskirts of the town. 

On the 'auspicious' day a mob of Hindus gathered around the temple and a handful of police officers were the only supervising authority present. As the chant of 'Mandir yahin banayenge' (the temple will be built here) rose in a crescendo, a wave of wrathful Hindus charged towards the mosque with axes and iron rods in their hands. The police fled the scene and the demolition began. By the evening the radicals had brought down the whole structure and saffron flags were being waved everywhere. The army was never summoned to control the deplorable act. The loss of secularism in India masqueraded as the victory for Hindus. The demolition was being celebrated by arson and more violence. Muslim houses and vicinities were burnt and looted in yet another case of communal violence. 

Riots broke out, mostly by the Hindu ebullition and at times by the passive Muslims, in the states of Gujarat, Assam, and Madhya Pradesh. The worst-hit state was Maharashtra where cash rewards were announced for killing a Muslim. Political parties like the BJP and the Shiv Sena abetted the outrageous display of religious triumph. Balasaheb Thackeray termed it as a 'retaliatory war' against the Muslims and heralded revolution.  As the city struggled to return to normal life after the spontaneous violence, bomb blasts outside the Bombay Stock Exchange and various other city hotspots disrupted the status quo. 2 understand Muslim mafia lords claimed responsibility for their vindictive act. It was tough to establish the status quo ante bellum but India managed to pull it off again. 

After the destruction of the mosque and the consequent riots. Western media predicted the fall of India into an abyss of sectarianism. It's clairvoyance failed in 1947 after India's independence, it failed again in 1993 after the bomb blasts. But what was evident from the riots was that India was now scarred and its reputation as a secular state wounded. 

Written by Vaibhav and Veertej
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