If Ram is the presiding deity of Ayodhya, then its political god is Lal Krishna Advani. Even though Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are lining up for the bhoomi pujan on 5 August.
Actually, a lot of people can claim credit for bringing India to this penultimate step of bhoomi pujan before the grand Ram Mandir is built in Ayodhya — Advani, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the Vishva Hindu Parishad, and the Congress. But, most importantly, Indian families.
Undoubtedly, L.K. Advani not only set the ball rolling but also introduced the new language of Hindutva pride in the early 1990s. He single-handedly dismantled the word ‘secularism’ from India’s aspirational pulpit, and gave it the adjective ‘pseudo’. In every stump speech from the rath, he spoke of the historical Hindu wound and made Babri Masjid a buzzword for hate in Indian living rooms.
But Indian family conversations should also be a big claimant for this credit. They kept chipping away at India’s founding ‘narrative template’. This is why scholars erred early on by locating the so-called ‘idea of India’ in saving the Babri Masjid. That idea wasn’t demolished at a religious site, it was taken apart brick by brick in our living rooms.
Also read: There are 3 claims to Ayodhya — law, memory & faith. It’s not a simple Hindu-Muslim dispute
Re-doing history
Many in the Indian liberal commentariat have said that the demolition of the Babri Masjid was the biggest blow to Nehruvian ideals. But to invest an old dilapidated mosque with the burden of secularism and an ‘idea of India’ was never going to fly. First, a religious structure can’t be and shouldn’t be a site to preserve secularism. Second, and more importantly, many Hindus, over generations, had been taught to view the mosque as a site of historical humiliation. They acted as ‘mnemonic communities’ (thick-memory communities) self-identifying as wounded.
And that wound, reminded Arun Shourie, was strewn across India, not just Ayodhya. According to a book that he co-wrote — Hindu Temples: What Happened to Them — which was published much before the demolition in 1990, there are 2,000 mosques that stand on top of demolished temples. The red book listed each of these mosques with name, village and some photographs, and gave intellectual fodder to the Vishva Hindu Parishad’s campaign in the 1990s that said Hindus are ready to give up their claims over these 2,000 mosques if Muslims would give them the Ayodhya, Varanasi and Mathura sites.
I visited a handful of these 2,000 mosque sites back then but found no knowledge, folklore, collective memory, let alone wounds, about demolished temples among local villagers. People did not know or did not care or had just accepted what they had inherited by way of built heritage. Popular memory is constructed through deliberate acts of retelling, which were manifest in Ayodhya, Varanasi and Mathura, but not the 2,000 sites listed in Shourie’s book.
Here is another way collective memory is shaped. When I visited Ayodhya a few years after the mosque’s demolition, I saw street vendors selling little black-and-white flip-books with two dozen picture pages. When you flipped the pages fast, you could see in motion how the Babri Masjid was razed to the ground. The last flip-book I had seen in life was one that showed Kapil Dev’s bowling action in the early 1980s. The Babri flip-book was being sold alongside poster images of Ram, the warrior. There were also books extolling kar sevaks who helped bring the mosque down, sort of like a demolition hall-of-fame. This is how deliberate retelling works. It can keep both wounds and triumphalism alive.
Also read: Why Mathura or Varanasi temple disputes won’t go the Ayodhya way
Words to axes
The demolition, however, wasn’t the only, or first, or the last act of vandalism against the unique Indian pluralism that Indira Gandhi called a salad bowl. (Canadians say mosaic, Americans use melting pot to describe diversity). The salad bowl had been regularly chipped away long before 1992 — in deliberate family oral histories and conversations. In families, the idea of the Muslim as the eternal, unforgivable other was kept alive.
Many parents—even today—tell their children to marry anyone but a Muslim (or some version of that). My own father said this. The marigold flower was not allowed in family prayers because it was associated with Muslims. The flower even has a derogatory Tamil name that refers to it as a Turkish flower. The simple act of banishing a flower keeps the popular memory of Muslim invasion alive. In Tamil and Kannada families, you refer to Muslims not as Muslims but as Turks for the same reason. My father routinely talked about how Muslim neighbourhoods in Madurai were growing (‘from ten houses at the corner to the entire street now’), and how Muslim women no longer wore saris like they did in his generation but had moved on to black burqas.
Casual prejudiced observations and references like these are routinely made in many Hindu families about Muslims (to emphasise what Ashutosh Varshney called their ‘everlasting disloyalty’), Christians (over religious conversions) and Dalits (over hygiene). It works the other way too. Many Muslim families also warn their children against marrying a non-Muslim. A converted Pentecostal relative of mine once said to me ‘others won’t be saved’.
Also read: Ayodhya verdict & Babri demolition confirmed status of Muslims as second-class citizens
The 1992 demolition was no sudden act. All of our family conversations contributed to the pickaxes that hit the mosque in Ayodhya. It is easier to blame politicians for religious bigotry or go to Jantar Mantar with ‘Not In My Name’ placards, but more difficult to look in the mirror and speak up in our families.
There will be visible triumphalism in the bhoomi pujan event this week. First, history was undone and now it will be ‘corrected’. Liberal intelligentsia will mourn and blame politicians and courts. But they will choose to be oblivious to how public history and social memory is constructed. History isn’t just the sum of built heritage structures. It is also made up of intangible collective memories — the stuff that is not allowed to be ‘disremembered’.
A wiser approach for liberals would be to start investing their energies in family oral histories and conversations instead.
Views are personal.
Author should marry muslims not just once but manytimes to show the inherent secular fabric still exists in secular lovers.jai secularism
Rama Lakshmi in her article , hit absolutely the right chords on the string wood-board and as expected the sound coming out of it is of mournful despair and not celebratory music.For those , who are trying to find celebration and victory in what happened on 5th Aug 2020, this article comes as caustic sound of introspection and crimes conducted..but who wants to introspect ???
No agitation can become a movement if it does not affect discussions in middle class drawing rooms and through them , influence collective consciousness of the middle class.This is exactly what happened during our freedom struggle in early 20th century lead to the formation of our republic.
The idea of India has always been that of a land of inclusiveness , inquisitiveness and mutual debate and that is the reason of this land being the birth place of so many religious theologies I.e. Buddhism , Jainism , Sikhism , Hinduism and Atheism and pls don’t forget the development of Sufism in India ( although it was not originated here ) . We , as people believe in tolerance and forgiveness throughout centuries and that is the reason of our retention of our cultural values despite being politically enslaved for a very long period of time .
The conspiracy of poisoning our minds based on religious beliefs and identities is not new but yes ; it has seriously penetrated our homes in last 30 years . Not only Ms. Krishna but every logical minded individual in this country have seen her father , mother and families turning religious zealots from cynical liberals in last 30-35 years ( including mine ).Earlier in educated Indian families , dining table discussions were ranging from left to center left , now they were confined to “with us “or “against us “ kind of aggression and linguistic bigotry.History has very clearly answered the point that if our erstwhile medieval masters wanted forceful conversions of populace , then in the period of 700-750 years , entire northern India should have been converted , but are those indoctrinated fathers are ready to look at real and unbiased history ( other then social media originated perverted form of history ). How many of our Muslim brethren and they are around 200 million , can trace their roots in Turkey , Kandhar or Mesopotamia.How many of our Christians can trace them in Rome , Constantinople or Jerusalem. The fact is , their roots , family-histories, humiliations and wounds on account of brahminical caste system are truly and historically Indian , but can any daughter convince her mother on those injustices perpetrated on our own people for centuries.
Now , if this problem / virus penetrated our homes , the solution also will come from our homes only. We should not be quite but confront and engage our family members , our parents in every discussion and at least show them the mirror.If they don’t want to see the reality , so be it …but that logical fight in our drawing rooms will definitely inspire the next generation to be more inquisitive and balanced , and then the chords on the string wood board will become musical and celebratory once again..
Kudos to Rama Lakshmi ..
Rama Laxmi in her article , hit absolutely the right chords on the string wood-board and as expected the sound coming out of it , is of mournful despair and not celebratory music.For those , who are trying to find celebration and victory in what happened on 5th Aug 2020, this article comes as caustic sound of introspection and crimes conducted..but who wants to introspect ???
No agitation can become a movement if it does not affect discussions in middle class drawing rooms and through them , influence collective consciousness of the middle class.This is exactly what happened during our freedom struggle in early 20th century and finally lead to the formation of our republic.
The idea of India has always been that of a land of inclusiveness , inquisitiveness and mutual debate and that is the reason of this land being the birth place of so many religious theologies I.e. Buddhism , Jainism , Sikhism , Hinduism and Atheism and pls don’t forget the development of Sufism in India ( although it was not originated here ) . We , as people believe in tolerance and forgiveness throughout centuries and that is the reason of our retention of our cultural values despite being politically enslaved for a very long period of time .
The conspiracy of poisoning our minds based on religious beliefs and identities is not new but yes ; it has seriously penetrated our homes in last 30 years . Not only Ms. Krishna but every logical minded individual in this country have seen her father , mother and families turning religious zealots from cynical liberals in last 25-30 years ( including mine ).Earlier in educated Indian families , dining table discussions were ranging from left to center left politically , now they were confined to “with us “or “against us “ kind of aggression and linguistic bigotry.History has very clearly answered the point that if our erstwhile medieval masters wanted forceful conversions of populace , then in the period of 700-750 years , entire northern India should have been converted , but are those indoctrinated fathers are ready to look at real and unbiased history ( other then Whatsapp originated perversion of history ). How many of our Muslim brethren and they are around 200 million , can trace their roots in Turkey , Kandhar or Mesopotamia. Fact is , their roots , family histories, humiliations and wounds on account of brahminical caste system are truly and historically Indian , but can any daughter convince her mother on those injustices perpetrated on our own people for centuries.
Now , if this problem / virus penetrated our homes , the solution also will come from our homes only. We should not be quite but confront and engage our family members , our parents in every discussion and at least show them the mirror.If they don’t want to see the reality , so be it …but that logical fight in our drawing rooms will definitely inspire the next generation to be more inquisitive and balanced , and then the chords on the string wood board will become musical and celebratory once again..
Kudos to Rama Laxmi..
Aa Gaye sickular liberandu
Cry you liberals cry! Your dad was apt! Stop being a victim for propaganda and abuse your own faith. The sooner you realise this the better. Kudos to your dad.
Distrust between Hindus and Muslims is not new .Partition doesnt change the basic nature of people.Muslims were invaders in most of our country.
Those who converted were looked at with distrust, except in Kerala where they came as traders much earlier hence there is more harmony between the communities there. Hindus in India while trying to get their own house in order with respect to case based discrimination are caught between two Abrahamic religions , waiting to take advantage of this.
Rama Lakshmi finds a catalogue of culpable entities that led to demolition of the Babri Masjid, notably Advani, RSS, VHP but more critically the average Hindu family! Everyone but the Muslim entities and actions that for centuries have been tolerated, accepted, even ignored by basically peaceful tolerant people that Hindus essentially are! Ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits in the 20th century was also overlooked by this liberal elite without demur! The notion that multiple injuries and humiliation going back centuries can ever be swept under the carpet can only be held by India’s (pseudo-) secular liberal elite! Only these Hindu intellectuals can come up with a version of secularism whereby they brutally critique any Hindu backlash even while they seemingly endorse the acts of Muslim invaders and subsequent residents (Moghuls). Of course it may be technically correct for Amish Tripathi to suggest that Indian Muslims (and Christians) should not be conflated with the original invaders. If only the former dissociated themselves from the crimes of the latter, which has never been forthcoming! In fact the notion that at its worst the” right wing Hindu fringe” is fascistic is an insult to the suffering of Jewish people ending in extermination of some 6 million of them. It is this kind of hyperbole, hypocrisy and self loathing by this liberal Hindu elite that has brought us to where we are today! After the departure of the British, this neo colonialist brown (largely Hindu) elite continued to treat the average Hindu with the same temerity and contempt as their masters did. Advani and Vajpeyi may have started the correction in this historical blot on Hindu history but it has needed a Modi to institutionalise it! Our elite represent this process to the world outside as emergence of Hindu fascism conforming with their own sense of self loathing! They no longer have any traction in India even if they find lucre and “shabashi” from their paymasters abroad! The fact that more Muslims are killed by fellow Muslims by a big multiple seems to escape their definition of fascism!
Ms Lakshmi pointedly decries the Hindu parent for being terrified at the prospect of their children marrying a Muslim given it is always the non-Muslim who must convert and all that it implies for generations to come? The Muslims do not show any consideration for the host culture, religion or values and refuse to integrate in a manner that requires some give and take. This phenomenon is not unique to India, it is also the case in Western Europe, North America and Australasia. In India they represent it as a Right Wing backlash but that is really an incorrect and a jaundiced analysis. This backlash is also happening in the West now and it arises in the working classes more than in the more refined elite segments of the indigenous community. This is not a Left-Right conversation.
The worm in India has turned and the liberals would do well to recognise this! As more indigenously educated and rooted political leadership takes hold of the power structure, to quote Nehru , “a moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance”! That did not happen in 1947 when we swapped a bunch of White Colonial rulers for a set of Brown Sahibs schooled in the Western mindset looking down on their own people and culture and tradition! This moment of change arrived in 2014 – a watershed moment in the history of India whose significance will not be tarnished by putdowns such as fascism, Hindutva demagoguery and so on! The nation has arisen and this will be a historic moment! The liberals have misread the mood music. They can play discordant tune to spoil the musical analogy or by drawing upon the traditional Hindu mindset ensure the change can be one of adjustment and accommodation on all sides, but not as defined by some distorted version of a foreign concept of secularism! Hindus do not need to be taught secularism but nor should they be expected to be seen as a timid people who will keep tolerating their continued subjugation and appeasement politics! Far from being fascistic this is an expression of “soul of a nation, long suppressed, finding utterance!”
Excellent comment.
Extremely well put, Vikraant!
Probably a case of the comment being better written than the original article!!
Nicely articulated. I think this is just the start of a revolution (of truth) .. maybe a final civil war will settle the issue if they don’t drop contempt for their own fellow citizens & their way of life.
True , Hindus are reaising the prospect of future civil war with Muslims and Hindus should prepare to win that war or prepare to perish permanently from History.
Bravo , one of the best comments I ever read