Ayodhya: Here’s how to pull the rug from under the BJP
Important Note: I am not privy to any *inside information* on the Ram Janmabhoomi case. What follows is based on a personal hypothesis and instinct. Below, a likely (unlikely?) sequence of events in the Ram Janmabhoomi case:
- The “verdict” in the title suit case goes in favour of Hindus. The court accepts the historical evidence regarding a Mandir at the site which was demolished
- Hindus rejoice
- All political parties appeal for calm
- Official machinery put in full gear to ensure no flare up of violence or riots
- The Congress party can now claim to have delivered what the BJP failed to do; It begins to eye the “Hindu vote-bank”
- At one fell swoop, it also establishes its credentials as a “truly secular” party..and the only one that can deliver “justice to all” (and “appeasement to none”?).
If all this sounds too outlandish, can I please remind everyone of the circumstances under which the locks at the structure were ordered to be removed in 1986 by the late Sh Rajiv Gandhi?
Of course, none of this might come to pass…Comments/ thoughts welcome.
Thought for the week: History tends to repeat itself – sometimes with terrible consequences.
Related Posts: Revisiting Ram Janmabhoomi: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3
Also read: Proof of temple found at Ayodhya: ASI report
P.S. Just stumbled on this gem from Hon Sh Veerappa Moily:
As far as the government is concerned, we have maintained a secular, impartial stand and will continue to do so…
Congress will not be going gung ho on this… they cannot give up muslim votes so easily. they will not antagonise muslims as that is their core vote bank.
I’m not predicting the verdict, but just my hunch on the possible reflection of the verdict on people.
If the verdict turns out to be favoring Hindus, UPA govt cannot and won’t control the fanatic muslim mobs. In states rules by UPA, they will let muslims kill and rape hindus, but govt will not cause any casualities and they will stick to lathi charge or tear gas shells max. In BJP ruled states, there may be police firing with one or two muslim casualities which the media can feed on for next 30yrs.
If the verdict is in favor of muslims, there may be few protests by few hindus which will pass like nothing happened and VHP will approach SC against the verdict. Congress and media will humiliate and demonize hindus until the SC verdit after 10yrs.
Interesting scenario. But I am afraid the Congress knows that the Hindus being in a majority still cannot enforce policy.The Muslim vote bank is pretty secure as far as they are concerned and would like to keep it that way. Placating the Hindus will achieve little for the Congress.
A couple of factors quantify that. Education among the Hindus is higher compared to that of the Muslims. So too is the indifference towards the electoral process in general. Also, Muslims do tend to vote in a partisan manner when compared to the Hindus.
It would be a googly for the BJP if the Congress does go ahead with such a policy.They will need to tread carefully in such a scenario.
Shantanu,
This is certainly what seems to be unfolding, with digvijay coming on 24×7 news channels – trying to paint bjp as communal and valiantly but inconsequentially portraying the, bunch of rat droppings that is, congress party as fair and just.
I am looking forward to the judgement…
No way is Congress govt going to do that. This administration is ivested heavily in vote bank politics. It is not about to give up on this minority vote.
Sir, I agree with you. Congress did that before. They are only power hungry. In fact I feel they will use such an occasion shamelessly during upcoming bihar elections and BJP as usual would mostly be a sitting lame duck.
1. Court declares land belongs to Ram Janmaboomi.
2. MMS silent.
3. Congress’ internal dummy opposition starts raising the secular -temperature-pressure.
4.MMS silent.
5.Rahul G makes appearance. Says, we respect judgment. Will make temple there. Will also built huge masjid few hundred metres from there. Land acquisition for masjid is no problem at all. Says, “Mere papa ka sapna. Sab logon ka vote apna”
6.MMS silent.
7. Media hails Rahul as the new secular Gandhi.
8.MMS silent.
9. Rahul is propelled as the PM in waiting. Doesnot take any post before 2014.
It is foolish to even think that congress can walk away with the credit in case of a :pro hindu: verdict. It is a decades old suit and nobody, i repeat NOBODY (not even the pseudo-sec faux-int junta) can deny that Advaniji’s rathyatra acted as a catalyst for the expeditious treatment of this issue. I confess that I as a kid was not even aware of this humiliation by Babur till Advaniji worked hard to bring this issue onto the forefront.
Dear All: Thanks for shairng your thoughts/views…will respond in detaill ater…
In the meantime, this is how the pieces are falling in place (ref #5; emphasis mine):
AICC general secretary and Uttar Pradesh in-charge Digvijay Singh…said that as the country’s home minister and deputy prime minister, Advani took no steps to build the Ram temple at Ayodhya, nor did he even raise the controversial issue.
Thought about this just yesterday.
Verdict can be appealed in the Supreme Court, but interim tussles/ events could take us upto the next General Election, so this may be workable.
Again, how come nobody has any links/contacts/whisperers/disgruntled elements/etc in the Kkangress? Squeeze and get the inside dope from the dopes.
On the other hand, a bunch of morons who buggered the CWG (with more to come) cannot be accused of this cunningness/foresightedness/strategy.
Hello!!
This is Secular India, Speaking of our Hindu rights is a national sin but protecting Minority Interest is must. This alone will give us votes, power, wealth(corrupted) and circulation for Media. As a secular(pseudo)you want me to lose these things for constructing so called Ram mandir.
NDTV may a talk, people who dont know what Janmaboomi issue, suggesting the construction of Hospital, etc in the disputed land. This will give us Advertisement revenue and not the pro hindu talks.
This might actually be one of the few instances of a win win situation for Hindus. If the verdict goes their way, they get a temple which is more symbolic than anything else and gives them a sense of peace at their place in India. If it goes to the Muslims, it becomes another insult to Hindus, and may result in a mass movement to oust the corrupt congress govt.
It is telling of course that of all the temples that were destroyed by various invaders, the one that Hindus seek to restore is the one dedicated to Sri Rama.
Shantanu, I agree with you. No wonder, the UPA appeals for peace and calm..Mdm Sonia also insists on the same…who are they appealing to? Obviously the unhappy minorities (assuming the verdict goes in favor of Hindus). There is no need to appeal to Unhappy Hindus…they do not care and they do not make noise!
I cannot help but note that everyone is saying that the Congress will do this or that, or that the Congress will take credit for the judgement.
We don’t even think of saying that the HC or the SC will decide the issue. And of course this is the true situation- in India today the courts DO NOT decide issues.
And this is the land where Ram Shastri Prabhune lived. 🙂
I feel the court should determine who the land belongs to based on records after India became free – not based on who owned it hundreds of years ago.
It’s time we ignored what this land was before 1947. Everything was born fresh after that. Otherwise there’s no end to how far back we can go.
It’s time to grow up and let go of our past.
BJP wrote:
“It’s time we ignored what this land was before 1947. Everything was born fresh after that.
____
Really? I thought that in 1947, the power was simply transferred from the Brits to the brown sahibs, which could hardly be termed as “born fresh.”
___
BJP wrote:
“Otherwise there’s no end to how far back we can go.”
___
As far back as it is relevant to today’s society and its people. Are you really looking for a logical answer here? I mean, why should Godhra matter? It’s also in the past – let’s just “grow up” and move on.
@Kaffir
Come on dude. The people Godhra affected are still alive. Don’t argue for the sake of arguing.
The Ayodhya issue is hundreds of years old. Forget it. Those who built it and those who destroyed it and built again are long dead. Forget dead people and move on.
What people did hundreds of years ago shouldn’t matter to us now. Let the courts decide who the land belongs to and then close it and forget it.
@Bhagwad Jal Park
Wonderful nationalism. According to the argument put forward, we should forget dead people and move on. Why should people bother, if some soldier dies in conflict fighting for the country, we should move on because he is dead. Why should people bother if a security person dies when trying to maintain law and order, move on because he is dead. Why should we remember our national heroes who fought for freedom – they are dead and gone. Why should we remember on Mr. Gandhi whose last word’s were ‘Hey Ram’ when he is no more.
Similar to how people affected by Sikh riots, Godhra are alive, so are people who are affected by the tyranny and the insurmountable injustice that was and is being meted out every day. Ofcourse an end to the injustice is imminent, this is possible only with accepting what has happened and acknowledging that mistakes were done and minority appeasement politics is not the way to do it. Fairness cant be sung by one minor glitch of a population when there is progressive and current attack being fueled and perpetuated at the whole.
The court will hopefully decide on the matter of appeal and give observations which may find common ground between the contesting parties. Curious about tomorrow…
Mr. Park (#17),
The people Godhra affected are still alive.Would you explain to everyone how those who died in Godhra can be considered alive? If they have not died then how are they “affected”?
The Ayodhya issue is hundreds of years old. Forget it.How about this: British entered my country centuries back, why do not we write in our history book that they did not enter the country? Forget about it, will you? Would you also consider forgetting the fact that you had an ancestor seven generations back? Why not, he would have been a century old?
Forget dead people and move on.Kindly explain who is stopping you from moving on. While you are at it, please help us understand why does it bother you that some people do not want to move on? Is it that classic liberal style tolerance at work?
What people did hundreds of years ago shouldn’t matter to us now. Let the courts decide who the land belongs to and then close it and forget it.So if people’s action few centuries back do not matter to us, then why should court decide, courts should decide on the matters that are important to us, no? If people’s actions should not matter to us, the question of ownership of the land is futile because who cares who owned it centuries back, is not it? As per your logic nobody (including you) should have any right to their ancestor’s land because they might have owned it centuries back, no?
@Sid
Try and understand what I’m saying. I’m sure you’re smart enough, so you’re being deliberately thick. The people involved in Godhra are still alive aren’t they? The families of the victims still exist no? The criminals are still free yes? Come on dude – get the gist of what is being said without having to be led by the hand.
Consign history to our textbooks. Don’t let it affect present day reality.
It’s important to know who owned the land at the time Indian law and the Constitution as we know it came into existence. Before that nothing matters.
Next you’ll say you want the Kohinoor diamond back!
Dear respected sir Park,
Come on dude – get the gist of what is being said without having to be led by the hand.We can “get the gist of what is being said” when you acquire the skills of saying something. It was your writing that I quoted and I am not in the habit of interpretation/speculation, I usually read what is written. Stop calling people “dude”, not everyone is on friendly terms to be called dude. I would call you sir liberal Park, just referring me as Sid is enough.
<code.Consign history to our textbooks. Don’t let it affect present day reality. – Would you mind explaining the reason a person would study history books then? What is history and what is not? What happened a year back is history or not? If yes, then what about the events that happened 10 years back? 50 years back? 100 years back?
It’s important to know who owned the land at the time Indian law and the Constitution as we know it came into existence. Before that nothing matters.– It is also important to note that how India came into existence. Do you know that India is a “succession state” of Great Britain and what does that mean in our law and constitution? Oh, I know it is a historical fact and thus no-one should know about it. Ask a constitutional expert or even a good lawyer. I have no hope that you would try to know the meaning or significance of it, but for the ones who still retain the capability of thinking, it means with the transfer of power all rights and obligations of the old state gets transferred to the new state. But then how would you understand? According to you, it is something that should have been locked into textbooks, no? And just because you do not feel about Ram Janmabhoomi, nobody should feel about it, I know about the thought process of a secular.Next you’ll say you want the Kohinoor diamond back!Not a bad idea. There are some people who have already asked for it. Not all of them are those illiterate Hindutva-wadis, there are some parties respected among liberal talking heads, for example, archeological survey of India and an Indian-origin British MP.
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/83524/british-pm-asked-discuss-kohinoor.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zJJoPiGDKc
Instead of advertising your ignorance I wish if you know something and comment. I know when it comes to India and her heritage, a liberal feels an obligation to be ignorant but just because you think your ignorance is holy, we would not.
When did I say that no one should study history? I said there’s no use getting worked up over an incident where everyone involved is dead.
And the Kohinoor is just a dead rock. Pride and respect don’t come from things like that. Let the past go will ya?
Mr. Park, Do you know many of our laws, acts etc., pre-date our independence viz., Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 etc., etc. There are so many. There is nothing fresh in 1947 except our country was divided on the basis of RELIGION and one part became an Islamic nation and another the so called Secular Republic. Most of the laws remained as such except certain amendments here and there. Are we not following the British law normally and the Hindu law, Sharia (Muslim Personal Law) etc., etc., We have not still enacted even a Common Civil Code.
As far as Koh-I-Noor is concerned we would like to have it back; and the Peacock throne too.
Are we not seeing various statues of the persons dead and gone long ago. But to show our respect we erect their statues to commemorate their memory. . We human beings are not in the habit of forgetting their dead but find inspiration from them. Perhaps, Park, you may different.
KSV , you have hit the nail on the head. Even the police law is 125 yrs old. Nothing was changed after 1947. Even in Britain they have changed some laws, but India still follows the Victorian era slip shod top heavy bureaucracy.
I had read this somewhere,
“Those who forget the past, are condemned to repeat it.” Hence we should read history. and also correct the history taught in school history textbooks.
The point should not be to just read the history and do nothing about it. but to read it and take neccessary actions based on it in the present day. Hope Mr. Park understands it. History is not just for “reading and moving on”.
Sid is right. The whole purpose of reading history is defeated if we are supposed to “Just forget it and move on.”
@Bhagwad: Re. ” …there’s no end to how far back we can go…”, this is a tempting but false (and bad, I think) argument. History cannot be ignored. It should not be ignored and an honest assessment of past is often necessary for a society to grow and mature.
I agree with Kaffir that we should go “As far back as it is relevant to today’s society and its people”
@Sid: Good point about “succession state”
@KSV: Good point about a large number of laws predating 1947.
Watch this supremely condescending piece of reporting on Ayodhya (specfcally 1:30 onwards) http://bit.ly/ba1LS6 #Ayodhya
Open thread to discuss Shri Ram Janmabhoomi, Ayodhya verdict.
Pl feel free to comment and share your views. Pl keep it civil and polite. Thanks.
Someone thinks otherwise:
Either way, it’s a win-win for BJP:
NEW DELHI: On the eve of the Ayodhya title suit verdict, the BJP feels whichever way the judgement goes, the party can gain political mileage out of it.
…If the judgement goes in favour of the mosque, the BJP sees it as an opportunity to play the “hurt victim” for being denied a temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, which will appeal to its core Hindu voters, who had catapulted the party into limelight over the temple movement.
On the other hand, if the judgement favours a temple, it could only boost the Hindutva cause, even if to some extent, and validate the BJP’s stand over it. Any which way, the resurrection of the temple issue works for mobilising cadres for the BJP.
Nice Call Shantanu!You were pretty accurate!
I don’t think I ever said we shouldn’t learn from history. One of the purposes of history is so that we don’t repeat the same mistakes.
The problems arise I think when we take history personally. Humanity is one single whole. It’s by pure chance that we’re born in India.
So there’s no point feeling heartburn over what happened hundreds of years ago. Study it. Analyze the patterns and see what we can do in the future that can prevent bad patterns in the future.
But don’t feel that anything needs to be done now to correct past mistakes. The past is gone. Only future mistakes.
Also, our Constitution came into being only in 1950. It’s on that anvil that our laws have meaning. Therefore IMHO we shouldn’t look at anything before that. We need to start fresh somewhere. Why not start at the greatest moment in Indian history when we became unified, free and democratic?
@Bhagwad
You must go and asked their loved one who lost their family member, to forget and forgive and move on. Not only Godhra but for Mumbai(Taj)attack too. This is not history right! It is present! So lets live in present than.
How often we should be the victim of violence and injustice? Only when we personally get affected?
@BJP,
I’m tempted to reply your last comment.
“Why not start at the greatest moment in Indian history when we became unified, free and democratic?”
are we really unified, free and democratic?
No wise and genuine person would agree. We still need a freedom struggle.
Rest, we must take lessons from history and try and avoid repetitions. We can never afford to lose national character. No matter where we are born. If I’m born in Bharat means I need to uphold national character of Bharat. (I’m really very happy being born in this land of great ethical Hindu people)
Jai Bharat!
Please watch Barkha Dutt repeat that “no temple was destroyed to build the mosque” for the nth time on NDTV. There are still people trying to rewrite history even after the judgement.
sir Park,
The problems arise I think when we take history personally.– History is supposed to be a description of the past events that happened to people. Our current situation is determined by the historical events. Anyone interested to resolve the problems we have today have to understand them first. To understand the problem one has to look into the history. Ayodhya can be resolved by following the examples in Somnath. That is also an understanding that one can reach after reading history, not ignoring it (or treating it as someone else’s history by not taking it personally). But whom I am talking to? You do not even know current affairs (refer to Kohinoor comments), how can I expect you to learn history? Keep yourself in the world of your delusion and ignorance.You are not a Hindu and even if you are you have no feeling for Hinduism, your opinion hardly matters. It is our fight, we have to fight.
BJP wrote:
“Humanity is one single whole. It’s by pure chance that we’re born in India.”
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If humanity is one single whole (whatever that means) then:
Why don’t you discuss what’s happening in Sudan with Sudanese people on a website where they hang out?
Why don’t you offer your views to Japanese and Chinese over the recent kerfuffle over their boats? Tell them that their history plays zero role in how they viewed this recent conflict.
How about discussing the Somalian genocide with Somali people?
(These are just some examples.)
But I doubt that you do anything like that, which makes your statement (about humanity being one single whole) nothing but a lie, or at best a theoretical idea which has zero practical application in the world, when it comes to discussing social and historical issues specific to a society.
I think Sid said it best, that you are either not a Hindu, or don’t care for Hindus. So, I don’t see why you are quick to lecture and offer your “wisdom” of “let’s move on.”
BJP wrote:
“Why not start at the greatest moment in Indian history when we became unified..”
—
Unified? With division of India into two countries and formation of Pakistan? How’s that a unification?
And the idea of India with its unity didn’t start with 1947 – if that were the case, Adi Shankaracharya wouldn’t have built the four mathas in Bharat many centuries earlier.
I’ve mentioned this before (on your blog, I think, and likely here), but your repeated assertions of “the only history that matters is the one that happened while I was alive – everything before that is irrelevant” is not a virtue and only demonstrates your foolishness and lack of perspective. Well, at least now you’ve extended your scope of Indian history to include 1947 as the starting date – I guess that can be considered a step in the right direction, given your earlier stance.
@Kaffir,
Of late (last six months or so), I am noticing a trend among new bloggers to go to more popular blogs and makes comments which, regardless of the quality of them, are definitely inflammable. If we go to their links to protest, we contribute traffic to their site (that is how blogging economy work). We then encourage them to make more such comments. You have seen examples and expect some more in future. Avoid the trap.
Sid, I’d briefly discussed a topic or two on BJP’s blog a while ago (when he’d left some comments on Sandeep’s blog), but it was clear that he wasn’t interested in listening to (let alone making an attempt to understand) any view that was different from his own, and he is more interested in throwing around labels. I haven’t wasted my time on his blog after that.
It has been declared that 33% of land is for a Masjid. Will this percentage allocation apply to other commodities and utilities as well? If one looks at fairness even on a mathematical level, the figures do not seem to add up, at all.
It is no wonder that the ‘politicians’ cause unrest, when the basic mathematics is flawed, one cannot rest assured that there will be fair play.
India is the only place where the term Reconciliation of historic wrongs, is denied and Negationism upheld and its Status Quo- which is no ‘wrong’ done ever, which means, going forward in the same Imperialist mindset and justifying a medieval outlook. Just read the Shahi Imams tone and content of speech.
While the previous Pope delivered a lengthy apologia, to the historic atrocities committed by church its overzeal, Indian inquisitions in Goa and Portuguese territories were left out- as though natives of this land dont deserve an apology. The Press never highlighted that.
Same with islamic invasion and its large scale Iconoclasm and traumatisation. While ‘Babur’s structure has many wailers, and seekers of justice, none for Babur’s victims, none at all for Kashmiri pandits who lost scores of temples right when all this tamasha is enacted.
Yet, world is becoming increasingly fed up with this Islamic appeasement and the so called secularists here are out of touch with reality and are increasingly exposed for what they are- a bunch of sophists and pathological anti-hindus.
Interesting/thought-provoking article from Koenraad Elst: Ayodhya verdict a Congress Party achievement