Guwahati: Conflicts between religion and communities have been a significant issue in India for decades now. A striking conflict between Hindus and Muslims paved the way back to the dispute over the land of Babri Masjid. However, the land was peaceful until 1949, when both religious groups used the site for prayers.
The Hindu community claimed it as the birthplace of Lord Ram, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The Muslim community claimed it as the site of the historic Babri Masjid built by the first Mughal Emperor, Babur.
The state of affairs was under control until idols of Rama were secretly installed inside the mosque, allegedly by volunteers of the Hindu Mahasabha. This incident led to a conflict between the religious groups of the land. Following conflicts, campaigns were organized by Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) in the 1980s, demanding the construction of the Ram temple at the site.
Conflicts turned grim when political agendas started misleading groups in the name of religion. Political agendas in India have always bestowed religious sentiments of people as the most effective tool for being in power. In 1989, Congress lost the general election in Uttar Pradesh, and the BJP's strength in parliament grew from 2 members to 88.
Several claims were made on the demolition of Babri Masjid and the state of disorder in 1992. Several leaders of VHP and leaders of the BJP party, including L. K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, and Uma Bharti, were criticized for the demolition of Babri Masjid.
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In 1990, L.K Advani started a rally to bring a sense of Hindutva among people. The rally also sought to support the proposed temple. However, the underlying agenda of the Advani was to unite vote banks from a selected group of people who were in the majority. The rally remained incomplete as Advani was arrested before he reached Ayodhya.
In 1992, the RSS and its affiliates organized a huge rally at the site of the disputed structure. Senior BJP leaders were delivering speeches on the site, and the mass turned restless within no time. The demolition of Babri Masjid took place in the presence of police security personnel. Soon after the state of affairs was disturbed, the effect of the Babri Masjid demolition was witnessed in other parts of the nation.
The ensuing riots spread to cities like Mumbai, Surat, Ahmedabad, Kanpur, Delhi, Bhopal, and several others, eventually resulting in over 2000 deaths. After demolition, the government banned VHP and took several BJP leaders under custody, including Advani.
The police officer in charge of Advani on the demolition day stated that Advani's speech was provoking. In this regard, Advani has faced criticism for destroying peace and unity among religious groups. A case was filed against Advani and other leaders, which continued for a long time.
In 2019, the Supreme Court cleared the way to construct a Ram Temple at the disputed site at Ayodhya. It directed the Centre to grant a 5-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board to build a mosque.
Just one year after this decision, in 2020, a special CBI court acquitted all 32 people — including BJP veterans L K Advani, M M Joshi, and Uma Bharti. They were accused of being associated with the conspiracy behind the disorder and demolition of the mosque.
In an interview aired in 2020, Advani stated, " I have declared that day as the saddest day of my life. I was present at the site when the incident took place. I would say it was all about losing control. Being in the RSS discipline is the prime factor for me. However, that day discipline broke. No one was listening to my voice through the microphone."
He added, "Till today frankly I do not know, was it a mob going out of control or a small group which did not agree with the leadership? I am not clear in my mind. Destruction was a mistake but not the movement."
Even though the government has somehow tried to clear up the conflicts regarding the disputed site, controversies over the incident still prevail.
