Our Duty & Responsibility after Ayodhya Verdict

Partha Pratim Mazumder

(The author can be contacted at phone: 9706630579)

The nation is indeed tired of the sickening Mandir-Masjid dispute which has been perpetuating communal tensions and shattering social harmony. We must now avail whatever chance the Supreme Court has provided to bury the hatchet and hope for sustaining harmony in future. The unanimous landmark verdict on the Ayodhya dispute delivered by the learned five-judge constitutional bench of the nation’s revered ‘Temple of Justice’ headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi on November 9, 2019 has brightened the global image of our nation by upholding the idea of India.

India, a country of 1.3 billion people belonging to 6 major religions, speaking 30 languages and 122 dialects, celebrating 291 small and big festivals, worshipping 330 million different gods, whose people love, despise, care, hate, feel for, fight each other and still manage to not just survive, but thrive is what baffles the global community. Unlike the other major global communities which are like a “melting pot”, India is a bouquet of flowers of varying shades and colours that stands out like a rainbow. The Supreme Court’s judgment has proved beyond doubt that despite many evil shadows cast on the secular fabric of India, the nation has withstood all storms due to the ancient culture of tolerance and co-existence inherited by it.

The historic verdict has given a sane message to the nation — to have patience and faith in the nation’s judicial system. The solutions to many ills, woes and grievances lie in the nation’s judicial system rather than taking the law into one’s own hands. It is a message to all the violent, armed rebels in restive Northeast, Naxalites and Left wing extremists as well as the radicalised Kashmiri youth and home grown militants. The CJI has emphasised that the decision is not based on faith or belief but on evidence. The findings of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) assisted the apex court to peruse the evidence from that period and arriving at the revolutionary judgment. The Court has observed: “Underlying structure was not of Islamic origin, as artifacts and architectural evidence had distinct non-Islamic evidence.”

The Ayodhya verdict has brought to an end the almost five century old dispute and nearly a century plus old legal suit which had divided the nation in terms of religion. The decision of the learned bench has ensured that “Bharatiyata” (Indianness) continues to be supreme in India which promotes the concept of “Sarv Dharma Sama Bhava” embodying the equality of all the Dharmas (religions) and believing them to be equal to and harmonious with each other. “Sarv Dharma Sama Bhava” teaches citizens to become good human beings first and then think of being Hindu or Muslim. All religions are the same and humanism is supreme.

While religion is a matter of faith, the nation is above all and remains supreme. Prime Minister Modi’s refreshing words — “This verdict shouldn’t be seen as a win or loss for anybody. Be it Ram Bhakti or Rahim Bhakti, it is imperative that we strengthen the spirit of Rashtra Bhakti” — should act as conciliatory for those who always look forward to exploit such delicate issues to suit their style of opportunistic politics. The decision will further strengthen the secular fabric of our great nation and promote the idea of “Nation First”. The milestone judgment will not only cement India’s unity in diversity but will also give a fillip to her vast cultural heritage which proudly boasts of “Ganga-Yamuna Tehzeeb”. As advised by the Prime Minister, the verdict should not be viewed through the narrow prism of victory or defeat of a particular religion. It is the victory over the cruel ideology of invader Babar who after the victory over Oudh in 1528, ordered his military commander Mir Baqi to construct a mosque at the site of the birthplace of Lord Shri Ram where a mandir already stood. In the British administrative and judicial records, the structure was always referred to as “Masjid Janamsthan.”

Lord Shri Ram is considered world over as an icon of righteousness, obedience, truthfulness and faithfulness. He is worshipped not only in India but in many countries of South East Asia and other parts of the world. The Hindus, Buddhists and Jains consider him as divine. The name of God most often lauded in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, after that of Hari is Ram. Ram, Raja Ram, Raghunath and such other words occur approximately 2,500 times in the Holy Granth. Right from Munshi Jagannath Lal Khushtar’s translation that was published in 1860, we have a rich collection of translations of Ramayana and its episodes in Urdu. The Muslims of India with due reverence refer to him as “Imam-e-Hind”. Allama Iqbal writes, “Hai ram ke vaj?d pe Hindustan ko naaz, ahl-e-nazar samajhte haiñ us ko im?m-e-hind.” (India is proud of the existence of Rama. Spiritual people consider him prelate of India).

The verdict has placed an onerous responsibility on the Government of India by directing it to form a trust for construction of the Ram temple and also allot five acre land to the other party for construction of a mosque. It is now for all parties, political as well as social, to not to politicise this sensitive issue any more; they should help the government in smooth implementation of the apex court’s judgment further enhancing the secular fabric of our great nation.

There should be no further harm to the nation’s unity, integrity and harmony to promote vested interests at the expense of national interest. There are certain politicians in the country of the like of AIMIM leader Owaisi whose entire political career centres on communal politics. Finding the judgment lopsided, some community leaders are contemplating further legal action. They would better act on the great poet-philosopher, Allama Iqbal’s counsel: “Na rah minnatkash-e-shabnam nigun jam-o-subu kar le” (Don’t take petty obligation and have no pious hopes). As the Supreme Court has arrived at the present decision after “navigating through the layers of complexity of the case”, a decision to continue with the legal battle will, in all probability, be an exercise in futility. It is for the people to give them a befitting reply by not falling prey to their divisive politics thus besting their evil design to disturb communal harmony. Blinded by his political ambition, Owaisi has not even spared the apex court by terming the highest seat of justice as “supreme but not fallible.” Charles Dickens said, “If there are no bad people, there will be no good lawyers.”

As stated by the Prime Minister: “Nation building onus is on the citizens.” The nation needs to move forward to create a fearless society that co-exists peacefully. We have to work for fructifying the PM’s dream of New India 2022 that coincides with 75th year of independence. Let us resolve to change that mindset and hold aloft the idea of India where diversity is not only respected but is developed into a national asset that multiplies our comprehensive national power rather than retarding it. The Supreme Court’s verdict has provided us that opportunity. Let us collectively celebrate the defeat of cruelty and victory of righteousness, construction of temple and mosque simultaneously, victory of our legal system, and last but not the least, victory of India. As Rabindra Nath Tagore wrote so evocatively:

“Where the mind is without fear

And the head is held high

Where the mind is led forward by thee

Into ever widening thought and action

Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.”