The Hindu : `Muslim habitation existed at site before Babri masjid'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 17, 2003

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National

`Muslim habitation existed at site before Babri masjid'

By Anita Joshua

NEW DELHI APRIL 16. The month-long excavation at the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya has as yet not revealed "any temple remains" though the Archaeological Survey of India has dug to "early historic levels" using methods that have been challenged on "professional grounds" by the archaeologists monitoring the entire process on behalf of some of the parties to the dispute.

Their contention, vis-a-vis the findings, is substantiated by the glazed ware that has been found in "substantial quantity" in the three trenches dug so far. "In the upper and middle layers, the glazed ware is so pervasive that at least in this part of the site of the Babri masjid, Muslim habitation must have preceded the construction of the mosque by two or three centuries; no temple underlies the mosque here," states a report prepared by the Aligarh Historians Society and SAHMAT on the basis of the information provided by archaeologists monitoring the excavation with the permission of the court.

"So far, the three trenches (where digging has been conducted) have revealed nothing of any temple remains although digging has gone below 3.5 metres and `early historic' levels have been reached. No Hindu temple is known from these times anywhere in India," it was further stated.

While the findings are being closely watched by the archaeologists on behalf of the Babri Masjid Action Committee and the Central Sunni Waqf Board, they have expressed concern over the "casual approach" of the ASI team towards medieval glazed ware, brickbats, mortar-bonded material and animals bones unearthed.

`Process lacks professionalism'

The report is categorical in placing on record that "everything is not right with the ASI's methods" and that the process lacks professionalism. "Even flotation — by which seeds and minute bone fragments can be recovered — is not being undertaken, and the marking of layers in trenches is unsatisfactory and unconvincing."

Particularly worrying for these archaeologists has been the "reluctance" on the part of the ASI to properly record the glazed pottery — the hallmark of Muslim habitation. Though the ASI has since been asked by the court to record whatever it finds at the site, this is still not being done properly.

The archaeologists involved include the joint secretary of the Indian History Congress, R.C. Thakran; the Deputy Director of the Directorate of Archaeology and Museum, West Bengal, Amal Ray; Supriya Verma of the Punjab University; the retired professor of Allahabad University, P. C. Pant; and Nikhat Ara of the Aligarh Muslim University.

Recently, the court had given the ASI five more weeks to complete the excavation and submit its report.

Based on what they have seen over the past month, these archaeologists claim that "the aim of the ASI team from the beginning seems to have been simply to look for any find that could be remotely construed as part of the remains of a temple, and to ignore any negative evidence".

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