Babri Masjid dispute: A brief recall

With the Supreme Court pronouncing a unanimous judgment, allotting the disputed Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi land to the Hindus, one long chapter of recent political imbroglio came to a halt on Saturday. Most of the concerned organisations, in a welcome move, have asked the communities to keep calm.

A brief recap of the dispute is necessary in order to understand how the Babri Masjid issue turned controversial and what was the political fallout of the demolition.

The first Mughal emperor Babar’s trusted general Mir Baqi built the Masjid in 1528. There was no dispute over it till 1855, when a clash took place between Bairagis and Muslims on the issue of Chabutara (raised platform) outside the Masjid. The matter never raised its ugly head during the freedom struggle, when the nation came together to fight against colonial forces.

After Independence, the issue came to the fore on the night of December 22-23, 1949, when some elements forcibly broke the locks of the Masjid and installed Ram Lalla idols inside it.  

After the idols were illegally installed, fearing future trouble, the then Prime Minster Jawaharlal Nehru wrote to G.B. Pant, erstwhile chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, to get the idols vacated. However, the local district collector, K.K. Nayyar, did not comply.

In the 1980s, after the Shah Bano judgment was reversed by the Parliament, the Centre decided to open the locks of the Masjid. Buoyed by the move, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) took up the campaign of constructing a grand Ram Temple at the site, claiming that Lord Ram was precisely born where the Masjid stood.

The Sangh Parivar popularised the notion that Babri Masjid was a symbol of ‘foreign rule’ and Muslim atrocities. That there was a temple at the spot and it was a part of the communal historiography introduced by the British. A.F. Beevridge, a British officer, while translating Babar’s memoirs had put a footnote that there may have been a temple on which the mosque was built.

The campaign turned political in the late 80s, when the BJP took over from the VHP. Then BJP president L.K. Advani began a Rath Yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya. The Rath Yatra was followed by communal violence across the country. Mr Advani was arrested in Bihar as per the orders of the then chief minister Lalu Yadav. Yet, many were able to reach the Masjid. To prevent any damage to the structure, erstwhile Uttar Pradesh CM Mulayam Singh Yadav ordered the police to fire at the mob.

After the then PM V.P. Singh announced the implementation of the Mandal Commission recommendations, the movement got a new lease of life.

The Sangh Parivar decided to perform ‘Kar Seva’ on December 6, 1992. The then UP CM Kalyan Singh had given a written undertaking to protect the Masjid. However, with nearly three lakh Kar Sevaks in Ayodhya on the fateful day, the security forces withdrew from the site. The Masjid was demolished, in a span of just five and a half hours. The cheering crowd, led by Mr Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharati, raised the slogan, “Ye to Keval Jhanki hai, Kashi, Mathura Baki hai (This is just the beginning, Kashi, Mathura will follow)”.

The demolition was investigated by Liberhan Commission, which opined that it was a planned act led by Mr Advani and company. Those guilty of demolishing the Masjid have not yet been punished. The demolition was followed by massive violence, particularly in Mumbai and also in other cities.

The demolition propelled the BJP to electoral significance. In 1996, the BJP tasted political power at the Centre for the first time.