Kashi, Mathura: Only a social contract could end strife

If a strong nation starts treating its minorities shabbily, no one can do much about it, examples being blacks in the US or how China treats its Uighur Muslims

History does not end at any point in time, and often repeats itself, mainly as a tragedy. Perhaps we are inching towards witnessing another such tragedy, this time about Kashi Vishwanath, as all sides are repeating past mistakes.

Some intellectuals have argued that Varanasi district judge A K Vishvesha, who admitted the Hindu side's plea, could have waited for the Supreme Court's three-judge bench's judgement on the constitutionality of the Places of Worship Act, 1991. This firm faith in judgements and laws is, of course, laudable, but it will not help in the time of a great crisis.

Not only the laws and verdicts can be changed and revised, as has happened through the ages, but they can also be violated. There were enough laws and courts in the country, even in 1992. While the BJP was ruling Uttar Pradesh, where Ayodhya is situated, the Congress was at the helm at the Centre. Still, nothing could prevent the demolition of the Babri mosque structure.

Also Read — The Gyanvapi mosque case: All you need to know

About Gyanvapi, we are now seeing, at a smaller scale, the repetition of the initial days of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. In those days, Lal Krishna Advani repeatedly said if the Muslim side agreed to give up the land, the Hindu side would shift the entire Babri mosque to a new designated site. The Muslim side disagreed. Eventually, a six-hundred-year-old structure was razed.

Those were the initial days of Hindu 'awakening', and India was still not a strong country economically and consequently militarily. But even then, the world could do little to pressure India to rebuild the structure. Finally, through some unusual developments spanning over three decades, a grand Ram Temple is being built there, changing the texture of the quiet, small town.

India is a much stronger nation now, and a 'resurgent' Hindu is a reality. If Hindus decide to take by force Kashi and Mathura, they cannot be stopped, particularly because, as the ruling party, the BJP cannot be at the helm of the movement. There can be bloodshed, mayhem, and widespread communal violence, but nothing can stop a force dedicated to a religious cause. This is the reality.

Again, if a strong nation, the world's fourth largest economy, starts treating its minorities shabbily, no one can do much about it. We have seen how blacks are treated in the USA, where police often fire at them with almost a sense of impunity. We know how China treats its Uighur Muslims almost inhumanely. The world can do little about it.

So, the only way forward in India to ensure the safety of the minorities and peace in the country is a social contract between Hindus and Muslims. This contract may emerge after a long, tiring and detailed discussion about both communities' religious needs and aspirations. Only that can create a sense of goodwill among the communities.

We can deny only at our peril that hundreds or even thousands of Hindu temples were demolished by invaders from foreign lands who happened to be Muslims. As a Bengali, I have come across such incidents in the writings of classical authors like Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, the great Rabindranath Tagore, and modern authors like Satyajit Ray as well. The question is why the Indian Muslims should take responsibility for such heinous acts of foreign invaders, particularly when there is a way out.

The way out is an amicable settlement of Kashi and Mathura, bringing a full stop to the endless controversies. The Hindu side had stated that the controversy would end if they got back these three places. So, if the Muslims agree to shift the present mosques at least to allow the core demand of the Hindus to be fulfilled, like leaving the garbhagriha of Mathura, the disputes can be solved.

So far, the Muslim side has reacted with desperate rants, precisely as the Muslim leaders did in the 1980s. Now the top leaders of both sides have changed, but their attitudes have not. It simply means we have not learnt anything from the past and are again heading towards a 1992 situation.

The 1992 episode was a tragic situation, so we do not know what repetition of history would mean for the nation. But we know it will not be good for the country and not for the minorities, for if the Hindus take Mathura and Kashi by force, they may claim and take many more.

(Diptendra Raychaudhuri is a journalist and author based in Kolkata)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.