by Harsh Thakor
On December 6th 1992 exactly 10 years ago an event took place which will be remembered in the annals of Indian history for ever. The Babri Masjid was demolished by the fundamentalist Vishwa Hindu Parishad,in the name of Hindutva and commemorating Ram`s birthplace. Hindutva means a philosophy of Hindu Revivalism in all walks of life .Forces propogating tried to influence all walks of life like education, philosophy and particularly used Hindu religious festivals as a platform. The political roots of this movement lay in he pre-Independence created R.S.S. It was the worst single communal act that took place in our country`s post-independence period. A chapter had been written which will always remain in the history books. With the communal onslaught today remembering this event is of great significance. The forces of darkness engulfed the entire country.
The demolition was an aftermath of a whole series I events that began with Rajiv Gandhi unlocking the gates of the Babri Masjid in 1986.It was the Congress Government, which claimed to be the champion of Secularism which patronised Ram Rajya and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad rallies. Ram Rajya was a philosophy based on Lord Rama, a Hindu god which had feudal and communal overtones .The same Congress took no action against the Shiv Sena culprits during the 1971 riots in Mumbai as well as the Bhiwandi Riots. To defeat the Akali Dal in Punjab Indira Gandhi created Bhindranwale!
Communalism has been a weapon in the hands of the ruling classes in ruling and dividing the people. In colonial days the British used it in dividing the Hindus and the Muslims while in post-Independence Era to suppress the struggles of the Working Class the politicians with the connivance of the big Industrialists have used it as an instrument to divide the Working class. Today in our nation vast retrenchments are taking place in all Industries under the onslaught of Globalisation. The majority of workers simply toil in the most inhuman conditions selling their labour under the inhuman contract system and have no democratic avenues of organised Struggles. Their Unions serve their masters more than them. In the villages the peasantry toils under the yoke of landlordism. To prevent an organised movement of the Working Class and the peasantry the state and political parties promote the current Hindutva. In stead of taking up the burning issues of the masses like price -rise, Unemployment ,housing Etc the political Parties communalise politics and divert the working masses. When the workers rise up in struggles for minimum wages ,permanency or opposing retrenchment the same state uses the might of the police forces like a tentacle. Similarly in villages the state uses the police to protect the interests of the landlords to suppress the peasants struggles for land. Black Laws have been proclaimed where striking workers have been arrested.
On December 22nd 1949idols of Ram and Sita, 2 Hindu mythological gods in India`s history were placed on the site under the inspiration of Vallabhai Patel. This was the source of the Post-Independence Communal Tension that occurred. Hindu Fanatics claimed that the idols had spring from the earth while Muslims protested. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad claimed that the site had been Lord Rama`s birthplace: Vikram Aditya had built a temple to Rama at the site. They claimed that Babar (the First ever Moghul emperor who ruled in 1528) later destroyed the temple to create the Mosque. There is little historical evidence to back this claim. However one thing we are certain that in 1949 what without doubt existed was a mosque. 4 centuries ago Ramayana(Hindu Mythological epic) historian Tulsidas made no mention of a temple being destroyed .It is most likely he would have written about it in the record books if it was a historic fact.10,000 years ago no history was recorded, so there is no evidence that Ram was born in the temple. Several religious visitors in Ayodhya did not even think that the Babri Masjid site was Ram`s birth place. In 1984the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, a communal all-Indi Organisation claiming to fight for the liberation of the Hindus began their movement for `The Liberation of Ayodhya”. They were greatly boosted by their success in the 1983 Nationwide Ekatmata Rath Yatra. Nationwide leaflets were distributed showing Ram behind the bars and calling Hindus to liberate the temple. It was particularly predominant in Uttar Pradesh.
On December 19th 1985, on Ramayan Mela day the chief minister visited Ayodhya. The Chief minister asked for the file and found no court order requiring the shrine`s closure. A month later a Faizabad lawyer moved the District Judge`s court for the temple`s unlocking on the grounds that there was no specific order opposing it. The collector testified that he had not come across any document which demonstrated that preparations could be made for maintaining law and order if the locks were opened. The District Judge then ordered the locks to be opened and the devotees to be allowed in the temple. However well before the Judge`s order the Provincial Armed Constabulary had been massively deployed around the State.
The Congress was massively employed in communal organisations both Hindu and Muslim. The president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad himself was a Congress -I member of the Uttar Pradesh legislative Council. The head of the Babri Masjid Action committee was Maulana Hussain Kachauvi, a Congress-I Politician.
In every town of Uttar Pradesh The Vishwa Hindu Parishad were patronised by the State in holding rallies propagating communal politics. On the walls they wrote “Hindu Hindu ko Jodenge,Janma Bhoomi Ka Tal todenge” (Hindus will unite and break the locks of the Babri Masjid) and “Jis Hindi ka Khoon na Khaule, Khoon Nahi, vo Pani Hai.”(The Hindu whose blood does not boil, actually has water in his veins, not blood) The police remained silent spectators when such slogans were raised. Hypocritically ,the U.P. Government stated that it could not interfere with religious affairs as the case was proceeding in the Court. The only reason the gates of the Babri Masjid could be unlocked was the State`s intervention in the Court Case. On February 14th 1986 Riots began in Delhi as well as Varanasi, Lucknow, Meerutand Jaunpur. It even spread to Jammu., where 120 people were injured through heavy rioting.
In 1989 in September a giant Rath Yatra was held from Sitamarhi to Ayodhya.Communal leaflets were distributed throughout the India calling for Indian people to liberating the temple from the Muslims and erecting a temple for Ram. In Bhagalpur riots broke out with 1,000 people being killed. It was the worst carnage since the 1984 Sikh massacre. To win the elections Rajiv Gandhi advocated `Ram Rajya Rajiv Gandhi began his campaign from Ayodhya to win the Hindu votes. The Congress deployed 5 lakh Ramshilas)Statuettes of Lord Rama to win over the Hindu people`s sympathies) in villages as propaganda. Rajiv Gandhi personally laid Shilanyas (Idols of Rama) at the Ayodhya Site. In Bihar heroic resistance was organised in Khagaria district where in towns democratic forces thwarted communal elements explaining the true historical facts.
At that time the Janata Dal Government gained victory in the elections. They verbally opposed communalism but their leader V.P. Singh although personally secular was unable to prevent the Vishwa Hindu Parishad from carrying out the bricklaying ceremony.(A Hindu form of Worship) Earlier V.P. Singh had promised to come to Ayodhya to offer Satyagraha against it. The Janata Dal Government came to power with an electoral alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Bhatiya Janata Party had openly supported the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. What also was of particular significance was the special clearance given to a ceremony at Ayodhya despite the Allahabad High Court Order that the site for the Vishwa Hindu Parishadwas `in dispute” and hence status quo should be maintained. The Congress government in fact encouraged the brick worship and patronised their processions all over India, despite riots in North India.
In 1990 the Vishwa Hindu Parishad led a Rath Yatra (A Hindu communal march propagating the liberation of Hindus))to Ayodhya. Even in Janata Dal rule` States like Bihar their propaganda was allowed.
In 1992 on December 6th finally the Vishwa Hindu Parishad achieved their long-cherished mission. At 11a.m.that day Kar Sevaks pulled through the police cordon and rushed towards the 464 year old Babri Masjid. They were equipped with wielding pickaxes, hammers, shovels and iron rods. At that time the Police superintendent of Police D.B.Rai, told the press. “It is all under control. Go and relax. You are wasting your time. “At 11.50 the Kar Sevaks scaled one dome. By 12.05 the 3 domes were covered with Kar Sevaks. By 12.15 all journalists and photographers at the site were attacked and equipment smashed so that no record could be maintained. At 1.55 a.m. the dome collapsed. At 3.00 p.m. Sadhvi Rithambara began singing, dancing and repeating “Break the Babri Masjid”. At 4.49 the Mosque was reduced to rubble. In celebration Kar Sevaks started attacking the houses of Muslims. For 5 hours the Central Government watched on-25,000 strong paramilitary force remained spectators. With the ruling Congress Government`s patronage the Babri Masjid was demolished. Riots broke out throughout the Country and it seemed that communal flames were burning the entire nation. The masses of India were trapped by the communal monsters.
In February the bomb blasts occurred in Mumbai and this led to the worst communal carnage since Independence. Being a Muslim in those days was like being a Jew in Hitler`s regime and the Shiv Sena (Communal party which claims to be fighting for the liberation of the MahaMaratha Community and for all non -Maharashtrian communities to be driven out of the state of Maharashtra) forces had become the equivalent of the S.S. in Hitler`s days. The Shiv Sena Criminals responsible for the riots have still not been brought to the book by the Srikrishna commission.
The sequence of events after the demolition of the was almost indescribable. In Kurla, in Mumbai, stabbings took place, a mathadi worker was also attacked. On 31st December a Muslim employee was attacked with choppers and an electronic shop was burnt. Police officers tried to create communal disturbance with the help of anti-social elements. In Bhandu, a Muslim ration shop owner was attacked. A Hindu was stabbed in Bhindi Bazar. In Dongri, Kurla, Pydhonie and South Central Mumbai clashes took place.7 Maha Artis were held in the city at the Hanuman Temple, Kalachowki, Lalbag. On December 28th the Faizabad district administration allowed 70 devotees to have` Symbolic Darshan of the idols at the Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya. Large-scale looting and Arson took place throughout Mumbai City. In Dhravi, mobs burnt 10 handcarts, houses as well as killed a Muslim For their political gains the B.J.P. incited communal trouble. As an excuse to attack Muslims Shiv Sena and R.S.S elements started stone -throwing.929 incidents of Arson took place. An Exodus of 1.25 Lakh residents ,mostly Muslim, had to leave the City. Big Builders used the riots for the purpose of Land-grabbing. The city was also divided on communal lines. Muslim workers were terrorised in their areas of Work. To ensure safety managements had to send Muslim workers on leave. In oberoi towers, Larsen and Toubro, Bombay Dyeing Etc Muslim workers were threatened by Sena Unions that they would be removed from work. The riots also made the religious organisations more powerful.
Police inaction was predominant at the time of the riots. In fact the police unleashed a reign of terror by breaking into homes of Muslims falsely claiming that they were going in to curb riots. They remained silent spectators when Shiv Sena and R.S.S elements were raiding or attacking Muslim homes. In fact the police used curfew as a means of keeping Muslims Indoors. Thus during communal tension the Muslims could hardly arrange for their own security. Now, they could me easy meat for the Hindu communal forces to pounce on. In fact the Congress government has a history of collusion with the Shiv Sena. During the 1984 Bhiwandi Riots the Congress allowed the Shiv Sena to attack the Muslims and carry out communal propaganda. Communal Fascist Articles of the Shiv Sena abusing Muslims were openly allowed. The Shiv Sena criminals were not brought to the book. In 1970 the Congress in fact created the Shiv Sena to suppress the trade Union movement led by left parties. The Mumbai riots helped break the secular trade Union movement which existed in Power loom Workers, Mill Workers, Garment workers Etc.
However the masses of our nation didn`t take the communal onslaught lying down. Under the iron feet of oppression secular Hindu workers saved many lives of Muslims. Self-defence anti-riot committees were set up particularly in Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai. Here working class forces thwarted the attacks of communal Vishwa Hindu Parishad elements. This secular heroism was hardly reported by the media. Against a tyrant sections of the working -class displayed death defying courage. In slums and Factories with all their might they forced Muslims to stay and come to work. During the riots in Mumbai in 1993,Lokshahi Hakk Sanghatana organised a joint poster campaign of democratic forces opposing communalism.
Today the Ruling B.J.P Government openly supports the communal Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Gujarat. What is significant is that today the rulers in the Centre no longer use the construction of the temple as a major issue. This proves how they needed such an issue for their political gains rather than just conviction of a true cause. The same rulers now needed other ways of diverting people from their true problems. The state has patronised the attacks on Muslims and remained simply paralysed in taking any action against the criminals. In fact the Godhra incident was created by the B.J.P Government as a ploy for winning votes. Reports now confirm the Bajrang Dal was responsible for it. Pakistan is made a pretext for all the trouble and the govt. is whipping up Nation Chauvinism. When there is starvation in the Country the same state is calling for India becoming a superpower. The money the nation in the military has already spent is distorted. In 1998 The B.J.P. celebrated India`s achievements in missile blasts. What was suppressed was the anti-people nature of the bombs which were not only used to strengthen the hands of the state but also in diverting people from their problems. It also enhanced communal feelings in the masses (Eg `Hindu Bomb”)This same government suppresses democratic movements with all their might. The killers of Shankar Guha Niyogi, a democratic trade Union Activist in Madhya Pradesh have not been brought to the book and workers and peasants have been arrested for agitating. In Bihar democratic Peasant organisations like the Mazdoor Kisan Sangram Samiti struggling against landlordism (Govt has collaborated with the Ranbir Sena)have been banned by the state while the police has trampled on the Struggle of Electricity board workers in Uttar Pradesh. The same Bharatiya Janata Party which claims to oppose multinationals in the country through the Swadeshi Jagran Movement is in fact in the state where they are ruling entering into collaborations with foreign multinationals in the heavy industries. In the steel and mining industry or even the garments Industry the B.J.P has encouraged the multinationals. Even in the Enron deal the B.J.P. eventually surrendered to the United States.
We must never forget this black day in our Indian history! It must inspire us to come together and fight the tyranny of the politicians and Industrialists. These forces want to break and divide secular, democratic struggles through inciting riots! We must fight till the very end for the criminals of the Mumbai riots to be punished. Only our democratic ,secular struggles against the tyranny of the big industrialist can liberate us.
Let us oppose the Communal Fascists with all our might!
Long live the Working -class movement against Communal Fascism!
