NEW DELHI: By allowing Hindus to worship idols kept at the Site where the Babn masjid stood before its destruction by fundamentalists on Dec.6, the Indian government in effect has treated the vandalism as legiumate.
The question of permitting the “darshan” (viewing) of the idols by the Hindus was considered twice by the Indian cabinet headed by prime minister Narasimha Rao but evidently the decision was not publicly announced.
According to media reports, the decision of the cabinet was conveyed to the Uttar Pradesh home Secretary who, in tum, made it known to the Lucknow media and simultaneously directed the Ayodhia’s district magistrate to carry it out and permit Hindus to view the idols.
Acting in a typical way of hypocrisy, Rao slated in Tamil Nadu that the decision to allow “darshan” had been taken by the Ayodhia district magistrate. He actually denied reports that the Indian government itself had taken the “darshan” decision.
The prime minister appeared to approve the magistrate’s decision just as Rao had given his quiet consent to the fundamentalist Hindus to destroy the masjid. Had the district magistrate’s alleged decision been found objectionable, the Indian prime minister should have overruled it. But that was not to be even as this time the prime minister had no excuse available to him that India’s federal structure stood in the way of his taking action against the UP. Government the U_P. state government now is being run by the Indian central government after the dismissal of the state’s B_J_P. government.
After the Indian cabinet took the “darshan” decision, the prime minister made it known through the government controlled media the south. Rao actually visited the Hindu mandir amidst publicity to send a message to Hindns that he was a devout Hindu and that he had permitted not only the destruction of the Babri masjid bur had also allowed the Hindus to worship at the site where prior to December 6 the Babri masjid stood. The Indian government as well as the Hindus regards the site as “make shift” mandir of the Hindus.
Meanwhile, BJ.P. chief Morli Manohar Joshi in a newspaper interview alleged that prime minister Rao was trying to hijack the Ram issue from the B.J_P. and was keen on enlisting Hindu support for the ruling Congress(I) party.
At the same time the Indian government has developed cold feet on its earlier announcement to build a masjid at Ayodhia as also a mandir after the mythical Indian King Ram. The government has not made known any plan to build the masjid.
Meanwhile, Indian Muslims are resentful of the government’s ways. Media reports are that Muslims have turned decisively against the Congress(I) and are sympathetic to V.P. Sing held Janata Dal. Hundreds of Maslims went to Ayodhia after the Indian government permitted Hindus to treat the masjid site as makeshift mandir but they were prevented from offering prayers at the site. The Muslims were lath charged by the police and turned away from Ayodhia.
It is also interesting to watch that the U.P. high court also permitted Hindus to worship at the masjid site. The court completely forgot that the Hindu fundamentalists had flouted its earlier order of not disturbing the status quo on the masjid.
Meanwhile, Pakistan in a note to the Indian government asked it to rebuild the masjid at the same time as the Babri masjid earlier stood. The Pakistan government also protested against maltreatment of Indian minorities of the hands of Delhi.
Several thousand Bangladesh Muslims felt upset at the Babri destruction and building a mandir at its site and tied to march towards Ayodhia but the Bangla authorities prevented them from crossing the Indo Bangla border. In the process a few Muslims were killed in police firings.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 8, 1993
