“Ayodhya verdict legitimizes Hindu extremism”

By Manzar Bilal,

Patna: “If you ask me to explain the Ayodhya verdict in simple words, I would say it is a legal expression to the slogan given by Lal Krishna Advani in 1990, during his Rath Yatra ; Ram ki kasm khate hain, Mandir wahin banayenge (We swear by Ram to build the Ram mandir at the site of Babri mosque). The verdict legitimizes Hindu fundamentalism and is a threat to the principles on which secular and independent India has been founded,” said Advocate Anupam Gupta who was the standing counsel of Liberhan Commission for 8 years.



Advocate Anupam Gupta speaking while on the stage (L-R) Prof. Dvaker, Prof. Arun Kumar and Nasiruddin Haider Khan

Mr. Gupta was delivering 5th Lalit Kishore Sinha Memorial Lecture on “Future of India and Ayodhya Verdict” organized jointly by Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) and A.N. Sinha Institute of Social Studies here in Patna on 13rd Feb.

The verdict on Ayodhya dispute was delivered by Allahabad High Court’s special bench on September 30, 2010, not only worried Indian Muslims but also other secular-minded people because it was based on faith and not evidences which opened doors for the extremist forces who wanted to turn secular India into Hindu Rashtra.

“While working for the Liberhan Commission I have interacted with many Sangh Privar leaders who were saying that ‘there was no mosque at all anytime’ and I was surprised when I read the judgment given by Justice Dharam Veer Sharma because he also refused the existence of the Masjid,” Mr. Gupta further said.

“I want to ask them that if there was no mosque then why they need to demolish it on 6 Dec. 1992?” he questioned.


Audience


In their judgments containing thousands of pages, Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Justice Dharam Veer Sharma researched and discussed history, myth, religion and faith but did not touch the illegality of the placement of idol inside the mosque in 1949 and demolition of the mosque in 1992. If they would have delivered the judgment keeping these two crucial and illegal acts on the record, the verdict would have been totally different, Mr. Gupta further argued.

All the three judges accepted that it was impossible to prove the exact birthplace of lord Ram on the basis of evidences but they concluded that as the majority of Hindus believe that the place of central dome is the birthplace of Ram so it should be accepted.

Questioning the judgment, Mr. Gupta said, “I ask why Muslims’ faith was sidelined on the issue, if the basis of the judgment was faith?”

Mr. Gupta concluded that the verdict must be countered in the Apex Court because “it gives precedence to faith over rule of law and thereby far reaching implications for the secular fabric of our society.”