The dangerous rise of majoritarianism
The demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992, had resulted in communal riots across the country. The recent developments in Ayodhya have revived the painful memories of that horrific event. The VHP had organised a Dharma Sabha on Sunday, November 25 near the disputed site. The congregation of the extreme right wing elements has intensified the demand for construction of Ram temple.
The Supreme Court ruled in October that the temple issue was not a priority and adjourned the hearing to January. The RSS, its affiliates, and the Shiv Sena found an excuse to intensify the agitation over the issue of temple. It is an open challenge to the rule of law and the constitutional democracy. Fearing the repeat of 1992 horrors, many Muslim families left the temple town, even the Muslim ‘khadau’ shops — which make wooden slippers for seers — shutting down. In spite of heavy security and the imposition of Section 144, the VHP and the Bajrang Dal activists marched, armed with tridents, mace and swords, raising provocative slogans. An uneasy calm prevailed in the Muslim dominated areas like Dharma Kanta, Qaziana and Katra.
The Shiv Sena is trying to revive its poltical fortune. Bal Thackeray took pride that Shiv Sainiks had razed the Babri Masjid in 1992 that resulted in large scale violence and riots in Mumbai, killing many innocent people. Uday Thackeray giving ultimatum to Modi government to announce the date for construction of Ram temple is a part of political agenda. The buildup to Dharma Sabha threatened to disturb the communal harmony, with his visit and the arrival of hundreds of Shiva Sainiks in Ayodhya and Sanjay Raut making a very provocative statement — “We demolished the Babri Masjid in 17 minutes, why is it taking so much time for drafting a law or promulgating an Ordinance” for contusion of Ram temple.
How tensed was the situation could be gauged from the massive security arrangements. An additional DGP, one DIG, three SSPs,10 additional SPs, 21 DSPs, 160 inspectors,700 constables, 42 companies of PAC, 5 companies of RAF and anti-terror commandos and drones were deployed. Ayodhya was reduced to a fortress. Mohan Bhagwat, too, raised the pitch.
All this is a ploy to polarise the people on the threshold of elections in the five states and general elections in 2019. That the ruling party is polarising the Hindus for electoral gains is evident from the speech made by Narendra Modi, charging the Congress for delay in the construction of the temple. He says the Congress party is intimidating the Supreme Court judges with threat of impeachment. The impeachment motion that he is referring was the one moved in April by some seven opposition parties against the then CJI, following the press conference held by four sitting judges of the apex court, expressing concern about the independence of the Judiciary and future of democracy.
In all this, there is an implicit message that the apex court should take into consideration the sentiments of the majority community and, then, decide the title issue in favour of Hindus. Any verdict against them will not be accepted. The VHP says it “will not cede an inch of land for anything but a Ram temple,” demanding the Sunni Waqf Board withdraw its case, with its vice president Champat Rai maintaining Ayodhya issue is nonnegotiable, It wants a firm deadline for the construction of Ram temple.
The people should not be befooled to believe that once the Ram temple is built at the disputed site the HinduMuslim question would be settled. Ayodhya is only one of many controversial temple issues on the agenda of the Singh Parivar. While the tempo was building for the Dharma Sabha, the BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj has made a startling statement: “What lies under the Jama Masjid in New Delhi…the monument should be demolished” as “there are idols underneath the structure. “The next on agenda is Mathura and Kashi where mosques and temples coexist side by side. The Sangh Parivar wants these mosques demolished. The underlying theory is that the Mughals had played with the sentiments of Hindus and constructed over 3000 mosques by demolishing the temples.
This is the rise of majority communalism, creating a fear psychosis among the Muslims. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) feels, rightly so, the situation is being created against the Muslims. The AIMPLB Secretary Maula Wali Rehaman said: “It is not the matter of giving a mosque but it’s a matter of principle that how many mosques will we have to sacrifice gradually. If we talk to someone, it will be withdrawn and another one will come.” This fear is reinforced by what Swami Parmanand, who presided over the Dharma Sabha, has said: “If an ordinance is brought for the temple construction, it will not end with Ayodhya. The process of the ordinance will begin for Kashi Vishwanath, Mathura and other temples.”
It is unfortunate that the Ram temple issue has taken a centre stage. This is communal flare up in perpetuity — an attempt to distort history and whip religious sentiments for electoral gains. The rise of majority communalism is a real threat to unity and integrity of India — a country that gave birth to four principal religions and where all the religions of the world are professed and practiced. It is the land where more than 100 languages and hundreds of dialects are spoken — a mosaic of cultures. The option before us: either we co-exist as a vibrant plural society, subscribing to the ideal of ‘unity in diversity’ or mutually perish.
The real issues — lack of jobs for the youth, unaffordable education and health, loss of integrity in public institutions, violence against women and marginalised sections, agrarian crisis etc — are sidelined. Political parties should not divide people on religious and caste lines, spread hatred and pit one against another, to capture power, ignoring the larger national interest. As Manmohan Singh said, “saner elements in the society need to unit and counter the evil designs of those forces that are bent upon to disturb peace, harmony and happiness.”