By
Sajjad Shaukat
23 years ago, Indian
Constitution which claims India to be a secular state was torn into pieces when
on December 6, 1992, a large crowd of Hindu Karsevaks (volunteers) entirely
demolished the 16th-century Babri Masjid (mosque) in Ayodhya, Utter Pradesh in a
preplanned attempt to reclaim the land known as RAM Janmabhoomi – birthplace of
the god.
The destruction of the
Babri Masjid sparked Muslim outrage around the country, provoking several
months of inter-communal rioting between Hindu and Muslim communities, causing
the death of at least 2,000 people, majority of whom were Muslims. The
governments of several neighboring countries including those of the Islamic
World condemned the Indian government for failing to stop the demolition of the
historical mosque.
In a 2005 book, India’s
former Intelligence Bureau (IB) Joint Director Maloy Krishna Dhar wrote that
Babri mosque demolition was planned 10 months in advance by top leaders of the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), BJP BJP/Sangh Parivar, VHP, Shiv Sena, the
Bajrang Dal and the then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Raow. Dhar elaborated,
“He had drawn up the blueprint of the Hindutva (Hindu nationalism) assault at
Ayodhya in December 1992.”
However, on December 6,
1992, the RSS and its affiliates organized a rally involving 150,000 VHP and
BJP Karsevaks at the site of the mosque. The ceremonies included speeches by
BJP leaders such as L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti. During the
first few hours of the rally, the crowd began raising militant slogans. A
police cordon had been placed around the mosque in preparation for attack.
However, around noon, a young man managed to slip past the cordon and climb the
mosque itself, brandishing a saffron flag. This was seen as a signal by the
mob, who then stormed the structure. The police cordon, vastly outnumbered,
fled. The mob set upon the building with axes, hammers, and grappling hooks,
and within a few hours, the entire mosque was leveled. Hindu fanatics also destroyed numerous other mosques within the
town.
A 2009 report of the
inquiry commission, authored by Justice Manmohan Singh Liberhan, found 68
people to be responsible for the destruction of the Babri Masjid, mostly
leaders from the BJP. Among those named were Vajpayee, Advani, Joshi, Vijay Raje
Scindia and Kalyan Singh who was then the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
Liberhan wrote that he posted bureaucrats and police officers to Ayodhya, whose
record indicated that they would stay silent during the mosque’s demolition. Anju Gupta, a police officer who had been in charge of Advani’s
security on that day, stated that Advani and Joshi made speeches that
contributed to provoking the behavior of the mob to accomplish demolition of
the mosque. However, the commission clearly identified BJP, RSS and VHP as the
organizations responsible for the incident and also nominated L.K. Advani, Lalu
Parsad Yadev and Murli Manohar Joshi as main culprits behind this incident. But
no action was taken against them.
By showing prejudice in
favour of Hindus, on September 30, 2010, the Allahabad High Court ruled that
the 2,400 square feet (220 m2) disputed plot of land,
on which the Babri Masjid had stood would be divided into three parts. The site
at which the idol of Rama had been placed was granted to Hindus in general, the
Sunni Wakf Board got one third of the plot, and the Hindu sect Nirmohi Akhara
got the remaining third. The excavations by the Archaeological Survey of India
were heavily used as evidence by the court to support its so-called finding
that the original structure at the site was a massive Hindu religious building.
Since the leader of the
ruling party BJP Narendra Modi became Prime Minister of India, various
developments like unprecedented rise of Hindu extremism, persecution of
minorities, forced conversions of other religious minorities into Hindus, ban
on beef and cow slaughter, inclusion of Hindu religious books in curriculum,
creation of war-like situation with Pakistan etc. clearly show that encouraged
by the fundamentalist rulers, Hindu extremist outfits such as BJP, RSS VHP,
Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena including other similar parties have been promoting
religious and ethnic chauvinism in India by propagating ideology of Hindutva.
In fact, on the basis of
anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan slogans, BJP got a land sliding victory in the
Indian elections 2014. Hence, Prime Minister Modi is giving impetus to Hindu
chauvinism against Pakistan and the Muslims, as under his directions, New Delhi
accelerated unprovoked firing at the Line of Control in Kashmir and Working
Boundary across Pak-Indian border, even without bothering for nuclear war.
Particularly, in the
recent months, extremists of Hiudu fundamentalist outfits intensified assaults
on the Muslims and Pakistani artists, famous literary persons—members of the
cricket boards etc., and even on moderate Hindus.
More than 200 Indian
writers, Authors, scientists, artists, filmmakers, film-stars etc. decided
returned their national awards in protest to rising Hindu extremism under Modi
rule, while more than 100 persons have returned their retuned. Former Indian
military personnel have now also started returning their medals, criticizing
the policies of the BJP government, embroiling Prime Modi in a new domestic
crisis.
Modi’s anti-Pakistan
policies have also external aspects. In this regard, while addressing a
ceremony during his Bangladesh tour, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi openly
stated on June 7, 2015 that Indian forces helped Mukti Bahini (Militants) to
turn East Pakistan into Bangladesh. He elaborated that former prime minister
Atal Bihari Vajpayee had played an active role in separating Bangladesh from
Pakistan, and he had also come to Delhi in 1971 to participate in the
Satyagraha Movement, launched by Jana Sangh as a volunteer to garner support
for the Mukti Bahini members.
It is notable that since
Prime Minister of Bangladesh and leader of the ruling party, Awami League,
Sheikh Hasina Wajid came into power, India has been employing various tactics
to entrap Bangladesh by exploiting her pro-Indian tilt to fulfill its strategic
interests. In this context, Prime Minister Hasina Wajid has continuously been
pursuing Indian directions by conducting anti-Pakistan campaign. Therefore,
after passing of 42 years to the events of 1971, which resulted into the
separation of East Pakistan, Abdul Qadir, the leader of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI)
was hanged because of his loyalty to Pakistan.
However, Bangladesh’s
ruling party, under Sheikh Hasina Wajid maintains an anti-Pakistan posture with
sinister designs of expressing animosity, antagonism and unrestrained emotional
flare-up. The aim is to exploit feelings of masses by keeping the “hate
Pakistan” agenda alive. This enables Awami League and Hasina Wajid to remain
significant in Bangladesh’s power politics despite their failure to deliver
good governance to the People. It also helps them to appease their mentors in
India. Using abusive language against Pakistan and its armed forces makes
Hasina Wajid relevant in Indian politics, while she herself prefers those
entities which derive sadistic pleasure by depicting Pakistan in bad light.
In this connection, in
connivance with New Delhi, Bangladesh government and Awami League have launched
a massive media campaign in order to spread venom against Pakistan, its armed
forces, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and against all those Bangladeshi
nationals who were loyal to the state during 1971 crisis.
By neglecting
Islamabad’s positive approach, Bangladesh government has continued its
anti-Pakistan approach to please India. It could be judged from the statement
of Prime Minister Hasina Wajid who has vocally said, “Bangladesh has no room
for the people loving Pakistan.”
Nevertheless Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina has been following pro-Indian policies. In this respect,
on the secret insistence of India, unlike the past years, a ceremony was held
in Dhaka on March 24, 2013, with full pump and show to honour ‘Foreign Friends
of Bangladesh Award,’ in relation to the separation of East Pakistan. For this
aim, several foreign friends who included various institutions and media
anchors from various countries, particularly India were invited. The main
purpose behind was to distort the image of Pakistan and its armed forces
regarding alleged atrocities, committed against the Bengalis. Notably, in
December, 2012, Prime Minister Hasina had refused to attend D-8 conference in
Islamabad unless Pakistan tendered apology for the alleged genocide of
Bengalis.
While, a famous Bengali
journalist Sarmila Bose authored a book, “Dead Reckoning: Memories of the 1971
Bangladesh War” after thorough investigation. Her book was published in 2011.
While countering exaggerations of the Indian and Bengali Journalists, Bose
argues that the number of Bengalis killed in 1971 was not three million, but
around 50,000, while Bengalis were equally involved in the bloodshed of
Punjabis, Biharis, Pashtoons and Balochis.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
was already in connivance with India for separation of East Pakistan.
Therefore, when East Pakistan was occupied by Indian Army in 1971, he stated
with pleasure that his 24 years old dream of an independent Bangladesh had been
fulfilled. While commenting upon 1971 tragedy, Indra Gandhi clearly divulged
Indian hegemonic designs by saying “Today we have sunken Two Nation Theory in
bay of Bengal.”
Majib had earlier
developed his contacts with Indian rulers and training camps of Mukti Bahini,
established by Indian army and RAW which also funded Mujibur Rehman’s general
elections in 1970.
Undoubtedly, various
anti-Pakistan developments such as Modi’s open confession regarding Indian
support to militants of Mukti Bahini, his arrival in Dhaka to receive award of
Atal Bihari Vajpai, presentation of ‘Surrender Ceremony’ photograph by
Bangladeshi leader to Modi, ruthless death sentences to Jamat-e-Islami
Pro-Pakistan leaders under highly doubtful and objectionable trials etc. show
that Indo-Bangladesh media nexus backed by RAW has become more active for last
4/5 years to create mistrust among people of Bangladesh against Pakistan.
Moreover, Indian
cross-border terrorism in Pakistan, her support to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
(TTP) which is responsible for terror-acts in Pakistan—also involved in the
massacre of innocent children at Army Public School, Peshawar might be noted as
instance of anti-Pakistan
Although apparently,
India claims to be the largest democracy, acting upon the principles of
liberalism and secularism, yet in practice, all political, economic and social fields
of the country are divided on the caste lines. It is surprising that
theoretically, Indian Constitution safeguards the rights of minorities, but in
practice, ideology of Hindutva prevails. Hindu majority led by the BJP has
shown complete disregard to the Constitution, and commit excesses and cruelties
against Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and Dalits with impunity.
Nonetheless, apart from
other frenzy events, the demolition of the Babri Masjid will remain a major
scar on Indian so-called secularism, as on the very day, Indian fundamentalist
leaders broke all the records of Hindutva terror by deliberately hurting the
feelings of the Muslims. The atrocities and tyranny let loose on that day in
Ayodhya continues unabated against the Muslims in one form or the other, under
the Modi regime.
Sajjad Shaukat writes on
international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants,
Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations
Email:
sajjad_logic@yahoo.com
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