By M M Special Correspondent
The Muslims are feeling let down, and rightly so. This time, they have been shown their subdued position none other than by the institution they revered the most – the Supreme Court. Thus, their belief in “last refuge of justice” received a severe jolt after it delivered the verdict in favour of a Ram temple at the site where Babri Masjid stood for nearly 400 years till it was demolished by frenzied Hindutva mob in December 1992 in full public view with “tacit” understanding of the Congress and BJP governments at the Centre and in the state of Uttar Pradesh respectively.
While the SC agreed to the most of the points Muslims sides made to establish their claims on the disputed land, it reached juxtaposed conclusion. Pathetically, the SC judges estimated Muslims’ place of worship worth 5-acre plot which it offered to the Central Sunni Wakf Board in lieu of the disputed land . It was unwarranted. Indeed, the wisdom of the judges does not go well with the Muslim parties who immediately rejected the offer. Will a structure on the proposed land serve any purpose for the aggrieved community? It will be epitome of injustice, it will be symbol of victory. It will crave of its own identity. It all depends on how one takes it.
However, the top court consoled the Muslim community by rubbishing the Hindu parties’ allegations that the mosque was built after demolishing Ram temple – a weird and unfounded accusation dominated the public discourse. Further, the apex court disparaged the claims of idol’s ‘appearance’ in the mosque in 1949 and, thankfully, considered the demolition of the mosque a criminal act, albeit the top court found it apt to handover the land to the Hindu parties, one of which was directly involved in the ugly act on December 6, 1992.
Experience in the post-independent India shows biased approach of the legislature and executive towards addressing Muslim issues. Rather, they were found to be the ones who created issues for the community. Rarely one finds instance where any democratic institution stood true to the constitutional commitment of justice, equality and fraternity in addressing issues concerning the Muslim community. However, the Muslim “leaders” would often heard telling community to have faith in the SC, their last refuge. Now, the community is left to witness the gradual collapse of the last refuge of the current Indian democratic set up.
Apathetic approach of Muslim leadership
It is not the judiciary alone which lost the faith of the Muslim mass, the community leaders and jamaats too stand exposed. Some members of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), both factions of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind, the Central Sunni Wakf Board – the litigants in the case – presented bad image of the community by their gesture and posture, by their utterances and behaviour. Despite unanimous stand to accept the SC verdict, many crooks and cahoots remained ever eager to strike some “deal”. Discreet meetings with “mediation panel”, parleys with the Sangh affiliates and making nonsensical statements every now and then had become order of the day. It will be futile to dig up the past now. History will definitely do justice with them.
After the verdict, however, the principled souls alive in these jamaats, along with some other Muslim bodies and individuals, showed maturity by issuing statements for maintaining calm. They should be hailed for standing true to their words. The Muslim mass too adhered to the dictum “patience at the time of adversity.
Pyrrhic victory for Hindu parties
If the verdict has upset the Muslims today, the “victors” too will not be at ease either. A sense of guilt will inherit them deep into their hearts and minds when they go to worship in the proposed temple. That, their coreligionists wrongly demolished the mosque in the motivated belief that the Babri Masjid was built after demolition of a temple. That, the scores of innocents were left orphans in the riots triggered by their coreligionists – most of whom managed to make their political fortune. Indeed, the Hindutva forces rode to power by running campaign to claim that a temple existed at the site before the Babri Masjid came up in 1528. The believers must be feeling cheated.
Further, the communal animosity between Hindus on Muslims on social level caused by the nationwide Rath Yatra taken out by Lal Krishna Advani in 1990 continues to exist. In fact, the seed sowed then have now started producing fatal fruits. The rampaging mob destroying Muslim properties and killing innocents all along the procession routes failed to fade away. The killings of karsevaks returning from Ayodhya in Gujarat’s district of Godhra and the massacre of Muslims aftermath in 2002 will remain alive in the generations to come. There are innumerable incidents of communal violence due to the Babri Masjid-Ramjanambhoomi movement. Hope repentance and guilt spare the innocents.