People's Democracy

DECEMBER 6 marked the anniversary of a shameful day in Indian history when the RSS-led hordes demolished the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya. Nine years have passed since then, but the consequences of this savage act continue to reverberate in our society and politics.

As the elections to the Uttar Pradesh assembly approach, the BJP-RSS combine is all set to bring the temple issue to the fore. The VHP gave a deadline to the Vajpayee government to remove by March 12, 2002 all hurdles to the construction of the temple at the site where the Masjid stood. The "moderate" Vajpayee was quick to respond. He assured the Sangh combine that talks were on with undisclosed persons and a solution would be found by March next year. A meeting with the VHP leaders at his residence led to the announcement about the revival of the Ayodhya cell in the Prime Minister's Office. This was the same cell under former prime minister, Narasimha Rao, which had paved the way for the shameful surrender on December 6 in 1992.

The VHP has announced that it will conduct a yatra from Ayodhya to Delhi to propagate its plans for the temple construction. The RSS has asked the prime minister to hand over the land acquired by the government and which is in its custody to the VHP, excepting the disputed site, so that construction work could begin. Rajnath Singh, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, has announced that the temple issue will figure in the election manifesto of the BJP.

During the debate on the Ayodhya issue and the VHP leaders entering the dispute site violating the court orders, union home minister Advani declared in Lok Sabha that the Ram temple movement was a "nationalist cultural" movement. He drew a parallel between the temple movement and Gandhiji's Dandi march. After such brazen stand, there can be no doubt whatsoever as to where the loyalties of the Vajpayee government lie --- not with the constitution and the law but with the Sangh combine.

The protests and debates in parliament are necessary, as is the insistence too that the Vajpayee government observe, in letter and spirit, the constitution and the law. However, as past experience shows, this will not be sufficient. The RSS-BJP combine will go through the pretence of adhering to the formalities of the law while using the state machinery to subvert its enforcement.

The BJP and the RSS must be fought politically by mobilising the widest sections of the people to foil their game-plan. The electoral battle in UP is crucial in this regard. At the same time, the democratic and secular forces must ceaselessly campaign amongst the people and mobilise them to fight back, at every stage and at every level, the implementation of the communal agenda of the BJP and the union government that it heads.