The week’s developments in India involving destruction of historic Babri masjid and massacres of protesting Muslims at the hands of security forces should not be seen as isolated incidents. These are part and parcel of the emerging Indian reality. Only a fool will hold the outgoing B.J.P. state government of U.P. responsible for the dramatic developments of Dec.6. The B.J.P in any case had projected construction of a Ram shrine at Ayodhya as an important political agenda in the last election Destruction of Babri masjid was clearly viewed by the party as the starting point for the Hindu temple. It was the Congress (I) government at the center headed by P.V. Narasimha Rao which had been promising protection to the Muslim shrine. The Indian governments proclaimed view had been that the B.J.P agenda was contrary to the secular foundations of the country’s Constitution Rao in fact had made it a point to assure the country and the world on Aug.15 that while he was in favor of building a Ram temple at Ayodhya Babri masjid would not be allowed to be destroyed.

It is well known that the Indian government ordered deployment of central security forces in U.P. on the eve of the Dec.6 threat from Hindu fundamentalist organizations. Home Minister Chavan talked of a contingency plan to deal with the problem in the event of a threat being posed to the safety of the mosque. But strangely the Indian government did nothing at all to prevent the assembly of more than 2 lakh Hindu fundamentalists at the site on the fateful day. On the other hand kar sevaks (voluntary labor) flouted all railway laws to board trains to reach Ayodhya. The Indian government-run railway system fully cooperated with the fundamentalist’s to assembly. The security forces were not deployed at the site to offer protection to the Muslim shrine. It was the U.P. state police which ran the show All this despite the fact that the centrally-controlled Intelligence Bureau which reports directly to the Prime Minister himself had been sending alarming reports about the real intentions of the fundamentalists for Dec.6. Instead of making preparations to meet the threat the Indian government tried to wash its hands off the problem by sending the ball to the court of the Indian Supreme Court. The V.H.P.-led fundamentalists were bent upon violating a stay order that had been issued some time ago by the Allahbad high court. The only power the Supreme Court had was to punish the violators for contempt of court. The court sentan observer to Ayodhya to watch and report about who was violating the stay order. But on the day of reckoning the courts observer himself was lost in the melee. The only culprit new in the courts record is Kalyan Singh who in any case resigned his post as soon as his purpose was achieved. Thus the Indian Supreme Court judges who have seen increasingly assuming political roles in collaboration with the central government made themselves a laughing stock in the bargain. When the destruction drama was actually on for more than five hours the Indian government authorities became silent spectators. The states B.J.P. government was dismissed exactly after it had achieved its aim.

It is interesting to recall the Indian government’s approach when it had attacked and destroyed Akal Takhat the Sikh holy shrine in June 1984 New Delhi had prepared for the eventuality for months in advance. Sikhs were not allowed to move about days prior to the event. Curfew was imposed at least a week in advance so that no Sikh could go to Amritsar to protest. Punjab was handed over to the army and other security forces. The aim was to send out a message to Sikhs and the world that India was a Hindu state and that other religious groups had to live in the country on the majority community’s terms. The same can be said of the Ayodhya episode. The only difference between the two situations is that while the destruction mission in the case of Sikhs was entrusted to armed forces in the case of Muslims the mission was allowed to be performed by Hindu fundamentalists. The armed forces were kept in reserve for use in the event of Muslim masses rising to protest. No wonder the forces gunned down more than 600 Muslim protestors in less than three days. For the first time curiously B.J.P. leader Advani said that his party was not responsible for the loss of (Muslims) life.

In November 1984 the Indian central government (Prime Minister Rao was then its home minister) made it a point to show masterly inactivity in Delhi and elsewhere in | India so that thousands of Sikhs were butchered by Hindu mobs. The slaughter campaign came to an end when Rao himself cried out that’s enough. To Punjab on the other hand Indian govt. sent the army quickly so that the Sikhs were prevented from reacting. In addition all Punjab newspapers were put under censorship so that the Sikhs would not know what had been happening in Delhi and elsewhere.

Our aim is comparing the Ayodhya situation with the operation Bluestar of 1984 and its aftermath is to show that India is governed.by a Hindu fundamentalist regime. The R.S.S.-B.J.P.-V.H.P. combine alone is not fundamentalist. The central Indian govt. and almost all the institutions of the so-called democracy such as the legislature the Supreme Court and the media are tightly controlled by the fundamentalist regime. Delhi’s activity (in relation to the destruction of Akal Takhat) and its inactivity (in relation to the Babri masjid) are well designed to serve certain aims. But the outcome is similar: the Indian state humiliated and killed Sikhs. It humiliated and killed Muslims.

The U.S. and other western public opinion have to correctly appreciate the Indian situation. The Ayodhya episode is not an isolated incident. It provides the latest clue to the true nature of the Indian state. India is not much of a democracy. Indian polity is basically fascist and Hindu fundamentalist. Whether in politics or in economics India just cannot afford to be liberal and democratic. It just cannot allow human rights to flourish. It is India’s compulsions that its governments should militarize the polity including acquisition of nuclear weapons suppresses minorities and violate their human rights. Otherwise these forces will seek and fight for their rights including the right to freedom. That will mean an end to India which is an artificial entity. While Sikhs in Punjab are struggling for Khalistan the people of Kashmir are in favor of an independent state of their own. The Ayodhya events are bound to give birth to yet another independent Muslim state on the Indian mainland. Those who will struggle for that state are bound to be dubbed as terrorists. The operation Bluestar and the Ayodhya episode are mere milestones on the road to India’s destruction as a Hindu fundamentalist.

Article extracted from this publication >> December 18, 1992