Public meeting marks 32nd anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition, exposes saffron fascist forces

By Harsh Thakor*

On December 6, 2024, activists from numerous organizations gathered for a massive demonstration and public meeting to mark the 32nd anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition. The event, organized jointly by Lok Raj Sangathan and other groups, highlighted the ongoing struggle to bring the perpetrators of this heinous act to justice and resist communal violence fueled by divisive politics.

Participating organizations included the Social Democratic Party of India, Welfare Party of India, Communist Ghadar Party of India, Jamaat-e-Islami-Hind, Lok Paksh, Citizens for Democracy, Students Islamic Organisation, Mazdoor Ekta Committee, Purogami Mahila Sangathan, The Sikh Forum, CPI (M-L) – New Proletarian, United Muslims Front, and others. Prominent speakers included S. Raghavan (Lok Raj Sangathan), Dr. Rais Uddin (Welfare Party of India), Mohammed Shafi (Social Democratic Party of India), Prakash Rao (Communist Ghadar Party of India), Dr. SQR Ilyas (All India Muslim Personal Law Board), and many more.

Speakers reflected on the demolition of the 16th-century Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. Despite assurances by the Uttar Pradesh government to the Supreme Court to protect the mosque, karsevaks demolished it under the patronage of BJP leaders, including then-party president L.K. Advani. The Congress-led central government and police forces stood by helplessly.

The Lieberhan Commission, established to investigate the incident, took 17 years to deliver its report, holding 68 people, including prominent BJP leaders, accountable. Yet, in 2020, a Special CBI Court acquitted all the accused citing a "lack of evidence." The Srikrishna Commission further exposed the complicity of BJP, Congress, and Shiv Sena leaders in inciting communal violence. However, even after three decades, justice remains elusive.

The Supreme Court’s 2019 decision to award the disputed site for the construction of a Ram temple was viewed by many as legitimizing the illegal demolition. This campaign, driven by political motives, sought to deepen divisions between Hindus and Muslims, distracting the masses from pressing issues like unemployment and poverty.

The speakers also addressed ongoing attempts to create communal discord, such as the disputes over the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi and the Shahi Idgah Mosque in Mathura. Recent incidents of police violence in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, against protestors opposing these divisive claims, resulted in at least four deaths, further highlighting the misuse of power to perpetuate communal tensions.

Speakers condemned the inaction against those responsible for the demolition and communal violence, emphasizing that the attack on Babri Masjid was an attack on justice-loving people of all communities. Declaring that "We, the people of India, oppose the destruction of any place of worship," they reaffirmed their commitment to protecting the universal right to conscience and religious freedom.

The gathering concluded with a unanimous resolution to persist in the fight for justice and demand accountability under the principle of command responsibility. Participants called for a society free of communal violence, where unity and equality prevail, and divisive politics has no place.

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*Freelance journalist

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