AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi took to Twitter to remember the Babri mosque demolition as the incident completed 30 years on Tuesday. Owaisi tweeted, “6th December will forever remain a Black Day for Indian democracy. The desecration and demolition of #BabriMasjid is a symbol of injustice. Those responsible for its destruction were never convicted.”
Adding that the act can never be forgotten, he said, “We will not forget it & we will ensure that future generations remember it too.”
6th December will forever remain a Black Day for Indian democracy. The desecration and demolition of #BabriMasjid is a symbol of injustice. Those responsible for its destruction were never convicted. We will not forget it & we will ensure that future generations remember it too pic.twitter.com/6T4LRRDmYf
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) December 6, 2022
Babri Demolition
The Babri mosque was razed by ‘kar sevaks’ three decades back on December 6 in Ayodhya on the site where the construction of Ram Mandir is going on at present. The site remained disputed for several decades till the Supreme Court in 2019 ordered the title in favour of Hindus.
Peace In Ayodhya Today
Both Hindu and Muslim communities are yearning for peace since the 2019 apex court judgment ended the years-old land dispute.
Now, three decades after the demolition of the Babri mosque, people in this pilgrim city seem to have moved on and appear to be treating its anniversary almost like any other day, reported PTI.
Police are describing the security arrangements in Ayodhya as “routine”. Hindu and Muslim organisations have decided to not hold any event to mark the day.
According to PTI, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad is not celebrating any “Shaurya Diwas” (Bravery Day) and there are no plans by the Muslim community to observe a “Black Day”.
Peaceful Construction Of Ram Temple And Ayodhya Mosque Continues
A local businessman Nitin Pandey told PTI, “The situation in Ayodhya is peaceful. December 6 is like any other day now for those who live in Ayodhya. A few years back there used to be a large police deployment but nothing like this happens here anymore.”
“The situation is peaceful in Ayodhya and we have made routine arrangements for the day,” Senior Superintendent of Police, Ayodhya, Muniraj G told said.
The SSP added that police teams at eight major entry and exit points of Ayodhya and those in the vicinity of Ram Temple complex have been asked to remain vigilant.
The two communities are more focused in developing the two religious sites set aside for them under the apex court order.
Champat Rai, Secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra has already said that devotees would be able to offer prayers at the new temple by January 2024. While, Athar Hussain, secretary of Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation Trust, which is building a new mosque on five acres of land allotted under the SC order, has said the Ayodhya mosque should be ready by December 2023.
Change In Ayodhya
Recalling how the city has changed in the last three decades, Krishna Kumar, who owns a shop on the main road near the Maniram Das Chawni area, said, “I have owned this shop for the last 35 years and I can say that today the environment in Ayodhya is good. There is no tension between Hindu and Muslim communities, or any other such thing. All of us live peacefully.”
He said that he was about 20 years old when the mosque was demolished by ‘kar sevaks’.
VHP spokesperson Sharad Sharma said events organised to mark December 6 were toned down after the Supreme Court decision “in favour of the Hindu side,” reported PTI
“This year we celebrated Gita Jayanti on December 4, other programmes will continue for a week at different places,” he said.
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He further said, “As for the ‘Shaurya Diwas’ which used to be celebrated on December 6, it has been called off completely as our main ‘sankalp’ (vow) was fulfilled. And after that, all we wanted was a peaceful environment. So it was unanimously decided that no event that triggers any tension or hurts anyone should be organised.”
He added that the organisation didn’t want to do anything that “damages trust and communal harmony”.
However, many Muslims still feel that families of those killed in the entire Babri demolition are yet to get justice. Two recitations of the Quran are hence planned on Tuesday for peace for the departed souls.
Mohammad Azam Qadri, Secretary of Anjuman Muhafiz Masajid Makabir Committee, Ayodhya, said, “The demolition of the Babri mosque is completing 30 years tomorrow and this is the time when we remember all those who were killed in the violence. We don’t have any grudge against anyone as such, but then those who were killed have not got justice.”
“Muslims usually pray for those killed during in violence and Quran Khani is being organised at some places on December 6 for peace for the departed souls. Tomorrow, we are holding a Quran Khani programme at two mosques in Ayodhya,” he added.
Remembering an instance of communal harmony during the demolition, a local resident, Mohammad Shahid Ali, told how he and several other Muslims were saved by their Hindu neighbours when a mob turned violent.
(With PTI Inputs)