Front Page   

Babri demolition anniversary passes off peacefully

By J.P. Shukla

Muslims downed shutters in Faizabad on Friday to mark the 10th anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid. Security personnel stand guard in front of the shops. — Photo: Subir Roy

AYODHYA Dec. 6. The tenth anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition was marked more by the elaborate security arrangements by the administration to maintain peace rather than by any obvious efforts by community leaders to rouse emotions. Announcements made to observe the occasion as "black day" and "Shaurya Divas" by the rival camps appeared more for public consumption than any show of emotion on the ground level.

Divided opinion on sighting of moon resulted in confusion over the celebration of Id today. While the Wahabis and Shias celebrated the festival with Id prayers in their mosques, for the majority of the Sunnis, today was the last Friday of the month of Ramadhan and Id would be celebrated tomorrow. Both Shias and Sunnis, however, protested the demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992 in their own way.

According to the convener of the Babri Masjid Action Committee, Faizabad, Mohd. Yunus Siddiqui, the community leaders had decided to register their protests irrespective of the fact whether the Id fell on December 6 or not. Guided by the decision of the local Sunni Imam, his community would be celebrating Id tomorrow. All shops in the city belonging to Muslims however remained closed till noon and the Namaz of Alvida was offered in the afternoon. A memorandum addressed to the President by the Muslim leaders said that the Babri Masjid demolition was the worst terrorist activity of communal forces during the last century. The passion aroused in its wake was later used to gain control over the Central Government. Efforts were now being made to repeat the experience to gain political control over Gujarat, the memorandum said.

Mr. Siddiqui said Muslims would continue to observe December 6 as "black day" till the Babri mosque was reconstructed.

At karsevak puram in Ayodhya, the nerve centre of the Sangh Parivar, "Shaurya Divas" was observed in the form of a `Hindu Dharma Raksha Sammelan'. Addressing a gathering on the occasion, the Ramjanma Bhoomi Trust chairman, Paramhans Ramachandra Das, reiterated the VHP resolve to construct a "grand" Ram temple at the disputed site. Construction material for the temple was in place and the real construction could begin any time during the next one and a half years, he said.

Ayodhya and Faizabad remained inside a strict security cordon, with armed forces checking vehicles and frisking individuals at important points.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Advani vows to defeat Pak.'s proxy war
• Babri demolition anniversary passes off peacefully
• E.C. orders transfer of two police officials in Gujarat
• Reservations remain over disinvestment
• Sibal leaving for Colombo today
• 21 injured in blast
• Commando critical
• Witness turns hostile

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu