Ayodhya moves on, now without buzz for temple

Ayodhya: On the foggy banks of Saryu, there is no hustle bustle. A motley group of saints and others take the holy dip in the freezing waters and move on.

At a nearby stall, amid steaming cups of tea, opinions during a discussion over “notebandi” (demonetisation) are sharply divided. At the bus stand, people wait patiently. There is no hurry, no sense of urgency.

Asked about the arrival of December 6, a youth asks, “So what...? It comes every year.” As the Babri demolition enters its 25th year, Ayodhya has clearly moved on. The ‘Shaurya Diwas’ by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the “Yaum-e-Gham” by Muslim organisations are now a mere formality.

The demise of Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa late Monday night has the TV channels and other forms of media occupied, leaving the Ayodhya issue unattended.

At the Karsevakpuram, a VHP function is on. Its spokesman Sharad Sharma says, “We will recall the contribution of those who played a key role in the Ayodhya movement and are no more with us.” Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, head  of Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, is the chief guest at the function attended by VHP and BJP leaders.

“Everyone wants a temple to be built but the issue no longer dominates our lives. People have realised that everyone is playing politics on the issue and it is only when the court decides that the issue will move forward,” explains Ram Kewal, a flower-seller near the Hanuman Garhi.

Pratik Tiwari, an undergraduate, says that he cannot understand the frenzy that surrounds the date, and which is at its peak on December 6 every year. Born much after the 1992 demolition, he feels that the issue had an expiry date which is long over.

“Hindus and Muslims have moved on with their lives but vested interests are trying to keep the issue alive. As a child, I have seen schools getting closed on December 6 and Army patrolling the township. Thankfully, all that is over and people are caught up with new issues confronting their lives,” he says.

There are only about a dozen people waiting for “darshan” at the makeshift Ram temple at the disputed site. Prabodh Sisodia, who has come from Alwar in Rajasthan to offer prayers, says it was his “desire” to visit Ayodhya.

Asked whether the temple issue would get revived during the election campaign, he says, “Those who think that they can use one issue over and over again are sadly mistaken.”