Ayodhya Issue - cycle of the political power

It all started in 1949, when an idol of Ram was placed inside the mosque, after that riots broke out in Ayodhya, resulting in more than 200 Indians losing their lives. On 6 December 1992, the demolition of the Babri Masjid was undertaken by the Hindu nationalist groups which triggered riots all over India and according to surveys more than 2000 Indians died. Then, the case went to the Allahabad High Court (AHC), which ordered Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to present a report on this case, after excavations held in 1970, 1992, and 2003. The ASI presented the report to AHC which said that there is a shrine and may be a temple beneath the mosque but they don’t have any evidence of whether it belongs to God Ram or not. On 30^th September 2010, the AHC passed the verdict that the contested land will be divided into three equal parts, in which two parts went to Hindu organisations – Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla Virajman - and one part to a Muslim organisation - the Sunni Waqf Board. But, later Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Mahasabha and Sunni Waqf Board refused to split the land, thus, they moved the Honorable Supreme Court challenging the verdict of the AHC. The Supreme Court still hasn’t given its verdict.

If we look in the history of this whole issue, monument, and place, and then tried to relate it with the present situation, we will get to know that it’s always been about politics, power, and religion used here as a weapon. But, the definition of power changes according to the time, place, and condition. In the present time, the power, ultimately, lies in the hands of people because of democracy. So, is the monument Ram Mandir or Babri Masjid? But, here it’s more than the question of mandir and masjid. In the 6^th century, this place Ayodhya was called as Saketa, at that time it was a Buddhist and Jain centre ruled over by many Buddhist and Jain Rulers like Ajatashatru and Ashoka, after the decline of the Mauryan Empire, the Shunga and Gupta Era (Hindu rulers) recognised this place Saketa, as Ayodhya in accordance to the epic Ramayana.

During this time, Kumargupta built many Hindu temples in the area. After the decline of the Gupta Empire, Huns destroyed and looted Ayodhya. Later, during the medieval period, Gahadavala Dynasty came into power for a short period and they were followers of Vishnu, so they spread Vaishnavism and constructed many Vishnu temple in the Ayodhya. Later, as Mughals came to power, Ayodhya had become the capital of the province of Oudh and a mosque was built on the order of Babur, on the ruins of the temple. After the end of the Mughal Era, the British rule came and in 1850 when the whole India started getting united for independence again, just to maintain their power they played a game of politics, a dispute arose between Hindus and Muslims and here the cycle of power politics started and even after India attained independence this trick started to be used in Indian politics and the cycle of power politics continued.

After 1950, India became a democratic country and a secular state. So, here the power lies in the ‘we the people of India’ which means people who are united under one common identity of being ‘Indian’. But, here again a question arises, what are we first - A Hindu, A Muslim etc. or An Indian? If we try to understand this, we will get the whole game of mandir and masjid, it is not a religious matter but a political one, and it’s a cycle which is in continuation from the past and keeps on continuing till date.

A religion never shows the path of destruction or to kill others, then why did more than 2000 Indians lose their lives in these communal riots, and if these riots don’t bring religious profits, then who are the people who gain from this? And who are the one who suffered, terribly, in these riots and in what condition are they in now?

I will not talk about the profiteers now but, the ones who really suffered: the common people of our country. In this game of politics, they are the one whose homes are burnt and families butchered and in the present day these victims are still in worst condition. The main aim of religion, whether its Hinduism or Islam, is to spread peace and humanity, and if there is any dispute that exists, it should be resolved in a peaceful and in a constitutional manner.

The existence of Allah and Ram does not lie in this, one monument but it lies in the hearts of the people and in their peace and prosperity, not in the destruction of humanity.

So, is it more important to build a temple or a mosque over the lives of Indians or should the matter be dissolved peacefully and constitutionally?

We need to work on this question with full awareness, we need to break the cycle of power which hampers the spirit of unity of the nation and the growth of the nation.

“Religion is for man and not man for religion”

― Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar