India's Hindu zealots are threatening, once again, to build Ram Temple in Ayodhya at the site of the 16th century Babri Mosque they razed in December 1992, triggering bloody riots that left more than 2000 people dead, an overwhelming majority of them Muslims. Tens of thousands saffron-clad Hindu extremists staged a rally on Sunday in Ayodhya to demand early construction of the temple although the mosque-temple dispute is pending before the Indian Supreme Court; which is yet to decide when to start hearing the case. According to Indian media reports, Hindu hardliners organised the mass rally to put pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fast track resolution of the dispute - in their favour, of course. Considering the PM, himself a Hindu hardliner, had promised to build the temple during his 2014 election campaign, he may well have given a nod and wink to his extremist allies to stage the rally so he is 'seen' to be under pressure to achieve theirs as well as his own heart's desire.
The Indian general elections are due before May next year. It is hardly surprising if Modi is in a hurry to build the temple without waiting for the court to give its verdict. In fact, the BJP government backed by Hindu extremist groups, like the Shiv Sena, has a plan to bypass the apex court, and bring in legislation for the purpose. Already on election campaign trail in Rajasthan on the day of the rally at Ayodhya, Modi could not contain his eagerness to do just that. He used the event to accuse the Congress Party of creating an "atmosphere of fear" to delay the hearing of the case until the 2019 elections, thereby inadvertently revealing he linked the issue with the electoral outcome. As for the legislative option he wants to exercise, he later tweeted "New tricks of Congress: send lawyers to the Rajya Sabha. Obstruct key legislation ..." In other words, he is all set to go around the legal process by using a legislative option but is frustrated by the opposition parties' resistance. Considering his credentials, he is unlikely to give up at a time the elections are just round the corner. Some among his support base have called for even an executive order to permit the temple construction.
If and when he finds a way to replace the mosque with Ram Temple, that would unleash bloody communal violence in India, and deliver a severe blow to its secular pretentions. It will also hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims in this country, which may result in some ugly reaction. Before things come to such a pass, Islamabad needs to move the issue in the OIC forum. Obliteration of a historic mosque should be a matter of concern not only for Pakistan but all Muslim countries.
Comments
Comments are closed.