When Myth Becomes Reality

Yesterday was a very different day. No, not because Allahabad High Court pronounced the verdict on the Ayodhya Title Suit, but for a larger issue.

It was around 2.30, my mother who came back early from her office rang me. ‘Hey try to come early, vehicles are off the road, relatively empty streets....’ I was a bit surprised that why was she telling that!

Yeah, it’s anybody’s guess. The Verdict was about to come out and she was anxious of post verdict scenario.

I laughed on my own, why we are the common people who have several other engagements are getting so terrified. What’s the issue? Are we losing faith on ourselves? Are we becoming vulnerable to some ‘emotional atyachar?’

In the ‘Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid’ suit, Lord himself was a litigant. And Court has accepted that. European Epic heroes find place in the literature, folk culture, theatre and our Epic heroes become the litigants!!

Can it be called the triumph of the judiciary? Has it really answered the historical aspects of the Mandir-Masjid debate? Archaeological Survey of India in the past has confirmed the ‘existence of a non-Islamic structure at the disputed site upon which Babri Masjid was built!’ But whether the ‘non-Islamic’ structure was naturally destroyed or it had been demolished, that question remained unanswered even in yesterday’s verdict.

The History is lost in interpretation. Religion won to a great extent. Politics got a strong footing to some extent.

For the time being Status Quo needs to be maintained. Another Judicial proceeding about to take off in the Supreme Court. Apparently it seems no party won!

But the biggest winner is MYTH itself. Where Judiciary adjudicates the birth place of Ram Lalla! The age-old belief of crores of Indians has been upheld by the Allahabad High Court. The legend of Ram has now legal acceptance!

8000-page verdict gave some relief to a part of Bharat. But does India have any interest in it or it’s just another news/headlines to them? It seems so. Many didn’t bother; they are more busy with (UN) Common Wealth Games, Naxal Menace, India-Aus Cricket, Bull run in the Share Market etc. Ram-Rahim makes no difference.

Politicians apprehended some unrest in post verdict phase. The example of which has been prominent on the street yesterday. As of now everything is as expected. Resilient India. Communal Harmony at its best.

The eternal rhythm of India-the secularism is out-an-out winner.

Myth over the reality has won in the Courtroom, Reality won Over the Myth on the streets of India!

India is indeed moving... and in a positive direction!

Third Exile? Not again

“raam banwaas se jab lautke ghar meiN aaye
yaad jungle bahut aayaa jo nagar meiN aaye
rakh-se diivaangii aaNgan meiN jo dekhaa hogaa
6 disumbar ko shrii raam ne sochaa hogaa
itne divaane kahaaN se mere ghar ko aaye

jagmagaate the jahaaN raam ke kadmoN ke nishaaN
pyaar kii kahkashaaN letii thii angRaaii jahaaN
moR nafrat ke usii rahguzar se aaye

dharm kyaa unkaa hai kyaa zaat hai yeh jaantaa kaun
ghar naa jaltaa tou unhe raat meiN pahchaantaa kaun
ghar jalaane ko meraa log jo ghar meiN aaye

shaakaahaarii hai mere dost tumhaaraa khanjar
tumne baabar ki taraf pheNke the saare pathar
hai mere sar kii khataa zakhm jo sar meiN aaye

paaNv saryu meiN abhii raam ne dhoye bhii naa the
ki nazar aaye vahaaN khuun ke gahre dhabe
paaNv dhoye binaa saryu ke kinaare se uThe
raajdhaani kii fizaa aayii nahii raas mujhe
6 disambar ko milaa duusraa banvaas mujhe”

This unforgettable creation of Kaifi Azmi saab has summarized that how the base of the secular India shaken and it got into communal polarization.

18 years have passed, but the blood stains are still fresh. As 24^th is approaching, India is fearing the repercussion of the Judgment Day.

Tension?

Terrified?

Trademark of Indian Politics?

All the answers are in affirmative.

People are waiting for the verdict. Will it be a Red Letter Day of Secular India or will it be just another verdict which (expectedly) can let off all the big guns for ‘lack of evidence’? Attempt to defer the Judgment Day has not been entertained. So after the Kumbh Mela, Allahabad is getting such an attention.

Some believe, had 24-hour embedded journalism was there, the wonderful Mughal architecture wouldn’t have been destroyed so easily by the bigots in name of Lord Ram. I don’t fully agree with this argument, but one thing is for sure… had the Rao-led Congress government at the centre paid a little more attention to the intelligence report (it was told that people were gathering around the ‘controversial land’) and was prompt in action & attitude- this wouldn’t have happened. One of the most violent community clashes was not able to rape the cultural and social belief of Secular India.

Now, no use analyzing the facts which made 6^th December, 1992 a black day since Cause-Effects-Aftermath-all are known.

The question in everyone’s mind is, will the 24^th September verdict give justice to the victims and will the perpetrators of this heinous crime face exemplary punishment irrespective of their caste-creed-religion and more of POLITICAL COLOUR? The big challenge before Allahabad High Court is to prove the supremacy of the Judiciary and re-strengthen the age-old belief of Bharat: Secular nation state.

24^th could see two things:-

· Verdict is given

· Adjournment

If the second option is exercised, this will be another defeat for Secular India as politicians already fear another bloodbath following the verdict. (Ironically they are the organizers of this kind of a crime which gives impetus to the fanatics. They just fan out the war-cry and people follow that blindly!) People may question the supremacy of the Judiciary.

But it is not based on assumption only. Very recently Central government has made an ‘APPEAL’ to maintain calm, harmony and integrity in the post verdict scenario. Religious leaders too are appealing for showing restrain.

I believe this appeal could be a Frankenstein. Why is the government thinking that there will be repercussion? Again there will be bloodbath on the streets in name of religion? Isn’t it titillation for a fanatic to act fast?

So, the Testing Time is here again. India has failed in few occasions but has shown RESILIENCE in countless events. If we want to see the glass half empty we would sight the example of 1947, 1969, 1992, 1993 and 2002. But we can boast of the fact that so many terror attacks took place in the communally sensitive areas like Akshardham temple, Malegao, Varanasi but it didn’t spark off any repercussion.

India is matured enough. Now it’s the duty of every responsible citizen to proof the politicians wrong (who will try to use the Verdict on his favour or playing with community emotions), despise the vote- bank politics and maintain the eternal tradition of Secular India-Not in letter but in Spirit too!

And India WILL …

INDIA CAN!