Chitrakoot on May 27, 2002. It is sweltering hot but splitters of
stormy winds and brief spell of rains, have brought some relief to
the heat-stricken people. But we find no relief when we read the
newspapers. On one side tensions are being made to scale up on
Indo-Pak border and situations indicating towards a war are being
fabricated, and on the other side in the backdrop of singing Gujarat,
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) is trying to re-stir communal
polarisation on the pretext of "Purna-Ahuti Yagya" in Ayodhaya.
The challenge that faces us is indeed extremely critical with trouble
brewing on the borders of our country and communal divide sharpening
up inside the nation. After a turn of half a century, it again looks
like a conspiracy to divide our country. Our padyatra is an
initiative to warn the people of the impending danger and also an
effort to prevent the further breaking of our society. People have
also begun to understand now that on the pretext of Ram Mandir, their
emotions were made to scale high to serve a purpose. When VHP
declared to perform Shila Poojan in Ayodhaya during March this year,
we responded by organizing fasts and peace marches in Lucknow,
Barabanki and Faizabad. Our overall experience from the discussions
we had with the people during fasts and marches in March this year
and in the past 10 days of this Chitrakoot-Ayodhaya Pad Yatra, makes
it ample clear that people are too frustrated and fed up to talk any
further on this issue, and want to get rid of those who use religion
to serve their political interests.
The Chief Priest (Mahant) of Kamadgiri Pramukh Dwar in Chitrakoot
Dr.Purshottam Das, recited his poem during the start of
Chitrakoot-Ayodhaya padyatra in the honor of the forthcoming Manav
Dharm Sammelan in Raja Talab Varanasi. This is a very moving and
sentimental poetry and we have got it printed in form of pamphlets
and are distributing it all along the course of this yatra. Clear
all-out support of Dr.Purshottam Das to this yatra has definitely
fortified the morale of all of us. During the opening ceremony of
this yatra, about 400 women mobilized by Vanangana organization took
part. Mahant of Nirmohi Akhara also participated in this program. But
the environment of this opening ceremony really became very sensitive
and sombre when reports of atrocities and abuses on women during
communal violence in Gujarat were being read.
People attending this meet could not help but cry unashamedly and
unabatedly on this grotesque inhuman violation of each grain of
dignity and moral conduct that could be attributed to any religious
exercise or human act. Undoubtedly all present, felt miserable with
an overwhelming sense of shame on what happened to women during
communal violence in Gujarat, that too, in the garb of a religious
exercise. As Kuldeep Nayyar says, even the partition riots were not
as inhuman and ghastly as the recent violence in Gujarat. After going
through the reports of what our women (most of whom were muslim) had
to face and undergo during recent Gujarat riots, one thing is certain
: it is extremely tough to believe that a human being can commit such
acts of sin.
Those who conducted such gory and blood curdling sinful acts of crime
on women, neither are Hindus nor human beings in the basic essence of
these terms. I am unable to understand how can such a big part of
society like Gujarat turn vitriolic and communal to such a high
grade-overnight. But this is definitely certain that people in rest
of our country have clearly understood the gameplan of hindu
fundamentalist forces and have slowly started rejecting Bhartiya
Janta Party (BJP) in elections. During this padyatra we passed
through a village called Dodiya Maafi, which is a stronghold of RSS
(Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh) and in 1992 many people from this
village participated actively in Babri-Masjid demolition. The people
of this village although still believe that a Ram Mandir should be
constructed in Ayodhaya, but are quite vocal that the main agenda of
VHP or BJP is not to build this temple but to do politics under the
garb of religion. They clearly stated that they can never support the
call for violence on muslim population of VHP or BJP or Bajrang Dal,
as happened recently in Gujarat. They also said that they will
continue to live in harmony and peace with about 20 muslim families
in this village and will never be lured again by hindu fundamentalist
forces to commit such mistakes as Babri Masjid demolition in 1992.
On our way to a village called Dhabhora, we met a Sanyasi-Ram Lakhan
Das. He also participated in the Babri Masjod demolition of 1992. So
far he has been to Ayodhaya atleast 10 times. But instead of feeling
more committed to Ram Mandir movement, he feels exactly the opposite
: he feels utterly disillusionized by this mobilization of
VHP/RSS/BJP on the pretext of Ram Mandir movement to serve their
political interest. He was vehemently critical and angry on the use
of religion in politics. He said that he is not going to be a mute
spectator or a part of silent majority and will not sit quiet after
seeing the atrocities and violence that his muslim fellow-beings had
to undergo in recent Gujarat carnage.
Likewise the Sadhus-Sants-Pujaris we met during this padyatra were of
the clear opinion that the acts and doings of VHP and 'Sangh parivar'
are not only a potent threat to our nation and society as such but
also to Hindu Dharma in it's entirety. Before this padyatra began in
Lucknow two Mahants from Ayodhaya addressed a press conference.
Mahant Jugal Kishore Shastri and Baba Bhavnath Das categorically
stated that VHP is a terrorist organization and as there is a lot of
demand on banning 'SIMI' and "Jaish-ai-Muhammad", similarly there
should be a demand for a ban on VHP. They said that VHP workers
should be arrested under "POTA" and if there is going to be any
genuine effort to find an amicable solution to Ram-Mandir-Babri
Masjid dispute, VHP has to be kept outside the forum for discussion.
A common human ofcourse never intends to indulge in any sort of
violence or conflict-whether it is a communal riot or the war between
India and Pakistan.
A common human being is more inclined to live life peacefully and
amicably with those he interacts in every day-to-day life. He
indulges in violence or conflict only under extreme circumstances and
when there looks to be no way out. Otherwise he wishes to live life
in harmony and peace. While on our way in this padyatra, passing
through the districts of Chitrakoot, Satna, Rewa and Allahabad, we
got an opportunity to pass through very remote and interior villages.
Vanangana and Sankalp organizations organized many meetings with
tribals and dalits. Living conditions here were extremely pathetic
and trying. Even safe drinking water was not available. People living
in this region have to bring drinking water from far-fetched areas.
In many of such meetings people narrated the tale of criminal
atrocities, they have to face at the behest of feudal lords or people
of higher caste. We got a glimpse of tough and extremely trying
living conditions of workers in stone granaries and those who pick
tendu leaves (for Beedi) have to live in.
Most often their reaction was that for them their priority is to
resolve their daily life issues – and whether a temple gets erected
or a mosque, it will make no difference to their daily life. For
these people struggling for their daily bread on day-to-day basis,
Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid dispute is not an issue they can relate to.
They were agreeing to this belief that religion cannot be the root
cause of any conflict or violence and similarly those who indulge in
violence cannot be truly religious.
Many-a-times I cannot help pondering over the possibility of an
informal agreement between Bhartiya Janta Party, it's supporting
political parties and the opposition combined, to keep us all
distracted towards emotive issues like India-Pakistan tension,
communal polarization and religious divide and away from basic issues
pertaining to day-to-day life of a common man. This also saves them
(the grand union of political parties = BJP + supporters +
opposition) the ignominy of being answerable for the plight we are
living in today, for which they are wholly and collectively
responsible. In a way to campaign for Ram Mandir should be a contempt
of court because this issue is still in court of law and judgment is
awaited. Even before the court ruling can come, VHP collected over
Rs.100 crores from all over the world and began it's grand
preparations for temple construction. All this is being done with no
clue whether the final judgement from the court of law will come in
VHP’s favor or not, and whether Nirmohi Akhada will allow them to
build this temple even if court ruling comes in it’s favour. Now this
fact has come in open that there is a larger number of Sadhus-Mahants
against VHP than are in support of it. So this fact should be made
clear that what to talk of VHP representing the hindu community as a
whole, it is not even a representative of Sadhu-Sants. VHP – which is
merely a NGO – Non-Governmental Organization – registered under the
Societies Registration Act of 1860 with due permission from Home
Ministry to take financial aid from foreign countries, has used
Sadhus-Sants for political gains which created a havoc in our country
during the past ten years. But none of the mainstream political
parties including those in the opposition, have face enough to
publicly question the activities of VHP and demand accountability.
The never-ending lust for positions of power in politicians like
George Fernandes, Chandra Babu Naidu and Farookh Abdullah, numbed
them to compromise on issues of extreme communal intolerance. Other
political parties like Congress and Samajwadi parties restrained from
openly coming out against VHP because they never wanted to project an
Anti-Hindu image and lose out on Hindu vote banks. The inherent fear
to lose Hindu votes of samajwadi parties has given communal forces a
free hand to indulge in unhindered violence and crime in the garb of
religion and politics.
During the process of organizing this padyatra, the most horrifying
truth that came into light was the assumption of all political
parties, different collectives associated with Ram mandir-Babri
masjid dispute and most of the Sadhu samaj that ultimately it is
going to be a temple, which will be built on the disputed spot. In
Uttar Pradesh before the assembly elections, when Mulayam Singh Yadav
incidently crossed paths with Acharya Giriraj Kishore, then Mulayam
said to Giriraj Kishore that "Acharya ji, mandir to main hi banaonga"
(Acharya ji, eventually I will build the temple). So the race now is
who is going to snatch away the credit to build this temple. In the
main pamphlet of our padyatra, a poem authored by Dr.Ranjit is
printed on the rear-side "Masjid bhi rahe, Mandir bhi bane" (Let the
masjid remain, and let us build the temple too).
Even the sadhu-sants openly opposing VHP are not able to digest this
concept of mutual co-existence of religious institutions. The
possibility that a masjid may be re-constructed looks bizarre and
'impossible' to all. This is a matter of deep shame because in other
words it is like acknowledging the unruliness of VHP.
Knowingly-unknowingly we have granted an honorable position to a
terrorist organization which has unhesitatingly made a mockery of
government, judiciary and constitution, and therefore VHP is taking
full benefit of it's respectable position and abusing the entire
system to serve it's vested interests. Before Shila-Daan program of
VHP on March 10, 2002, when we wanted to take renowned Gandhian and
social worker former MP Nirmala Deshpande to Faizabad to participate
in the joint Hindu-Muslim peace march, we were held up by
administration at Ram Snehi Ghat for over one and a half hours in the
name of 'security'. However when on the very next day Ashok Singhal
came to Lucknow, he was rushed from the airport in a car with a blue
beacon light straight into the Governor's House. He received
Governor's permission and entered not only in Faizabad but even
reached Ayodhaya, despite of the fact that Faizabad-Ayodhaya were
under declared curfew. Will our administration tell us that on what
basis, a head of an NGO (VHP) and it's workers have been granted such
privileges and special prerogatives? Towards the end of February,
when workers of Bajrang Dal, with a declared purpose of building the
Ram temple (which is a direct contempt of court), enter into Ayodhaya
with dangling 'Khanjar' or knife, they were provided with security
cover of police administration. But the same administration
'welcomed' the workers of CPI (ML) with Lathi-blows, arrested them
and sent them to far-away jails, who had assembled in Faizabad with
an intention to conduct a peace meeting in a closed hall space during
April this year. The administration really has to take a stand now :
which type of forces is it going to align itself with? Is it ready to
remain a puppet in hands of communal forces? And if yes, then till
when!
Since the time BJP came into power, the situation on many fronts has
further worsened successively. Moreover, it has done exactly the
opposite of what it claimed it will. For instance, it gave a
resonating slogan of 'swadeshi' or indigenous goods but in comparison
to all previous governments, BJP not only opened up the widest gate
for multi-national companies and provided the most congenial
environment for them to work in India but also implemented World Bank
directives as such in relation to our economy. BJP has always given a
reverberating call to safeguard our 'cultural heritage' but the
transition during it’s regime is evident right on the front page (and
other pages inside) of all mainstream newspapers all of which carry
coloured photographs of scantily clad girls, many of whom are foreign
models, on the top-left corner. During BJP's tenure in power, the
markets got flooded with products, which fail to gel with Indian
culture. In 1998, BJP conducted the nuclear tests in the name of
'security and peace' after which all discussions with Pakistan came
to a sudden end. Now even the transport between two countries has
been stopped. The entire nation is a witness to the reality that
because of all steps which BJP took in the name of "security" we are
condemned to live in circumstances far more insecure and
unpredictable. Any moment the situation can turn explosive!
Similarly BJP used to give this assurance that in states where BJP is
in power, no communal riot can take place. But when Narendra Modi
decided to run an orchestrated show of communal violence in Gujarat,
then such riots and inhuman massacre was unleashed on innocent people
that never took place before in our history. When BJP was campaigning
for elections to form a central government, it came up with a slogan
"Sabko Dekha Bar-Bar, humko dekho ek bar" (You have tried all others
many-a-times, now give us just one chance). A vegetable vendor in
Lucknow commented on this slogan that "Atal Bihari Vajpayiji ne to ek
bar me aisa dikhaya hai ki sab kuch tabah kar dala" (Atal Bihari
Vajpayiji has shown such a performance in just one chance that has
destroyed everything irreparably). Possibly the citizens of this
country will feel that they may never have to bear the tenure of BJP
anymore. A sensational statement of VHP's General Secretary Praveen
Togdiya did further damage to already disheveled state of affairs in
our country. Togdiya said that if Prime Minister orders our armies to
march towards Lahore and Rawalpindi, then they will withdraw the Ram
Mandir movement.
Such fiery statements are further fueling up tensions and sentiments
on the border and inside our country too, which is definitely very
unfortunate and more like moving towards self-annihilation. No war or
acts of violence has ever given any happiness or solace to anyone.
Countless number of innocents will lose their lives. Our women and
children face unspeakable and unthinkable degree of crime and abuse.
On both the sides there is a heavy grade of destruction and loss of
human life. This has been the experience of human history in acts of
war and violence. In such grave and sensitive circumstance, such
irresponsible and inflammable statements as those made by Togdiya,
should be considered an act of crime. Moreover it also raises a
serious question : that whether the hindu society, whose emotions
were charged to the degree high enough to make them demolish the
Babri-Masjid in 1992, and Sadhu-Sants, who are frequently being
convened by VHP to seek directions and blessings, agree to Togdiya’s
statement that as an alternative to Ram Mandir construction, India
should attack Pakistan? And if this is true then not only we are
marching towards total devastation but we have also rendered
ourselves insane.
(translated, original written by Sandeep in Hindi)
Sandeep, A-893, Indira Nagar, Lucknow-226016. India.
Phone : (0522) 347365
Email :
ashain@sancharnet.in, ashaashram@yahoo.com 
Email:: 
URL::