Finally even the postmortem of the site is over. True, only over in the sense of whatever potential for ‘evidence’ it had. In practice, the Hindutva forces show no limits to brazenly maintaining a position even beyond its visible end. The Court too has obligingly allowed them three more months for the digging to continue. Thus there is adequate scope for RSS-BHP-Bajrang Dal to try other pressure tactics interimly, while their fiasco on the digging front is not fully exposed in this period of run up to the Assembly polls in four states. In practice is evident the sudden emphasis on ‘negotiations’ to browbeat the Muslims before the truth is admitted by the court.

The ‘great clinching evidence’ of an archeological dig to locate the ‘destroyed Ram Temple’ below the Babri Masjid has now turned out to be a damp squib. This is quite apart from the fact that the very fact of looking for such ‘evidence’ in order to settle disputes over historical places (on any ownership for that matter) has been correctly and vociferously opposed by all progressive sections and forces. This includes the determined band of historians in India who have been active on the issue. If every controversial site is to be given ultimate archeological ownership, then all India belongs to tribal settlements. The 1991 Act on Status of Places of Worship provides for retaining all these historic sites at status quo as in 1947. Secondly, many eminent historians studying medieval history spoke themselves hoarse saying no archeological evidence could possibly be found historically; this contention arose only around the 1870s.

Be that as it may, the digging was sanctioned by the High Court and conducted through the ASI. It is another matter that the digging was allowed in flamboyant violation of an express Supreme Court position against this method of settling the issue. As is evident from the entire sequence of events on this issue, the Supreme Court is very mild with violations of its orders by the pro-temple forces. Here too, no order emanated to stop the lower Court and no contempt has been initiated against it.

The diggings have effectively completed some important work for the Hindutva forces. When the Hindutva hordes had demolished the Babri Masjid, the lower parts of the historic structure as well as its mosaic floor remained intact. Now the process of excavations has completed the process of simply wiping out all evidence of the historic Masjid and also disrupted its foundations. A big hole has thus also been dug into the very credibility of the Courts by this step. Alongside, the Supreme Court order pertaining to status quo maintenance of the site (as on 6th December 1992) stands violated but no one is punished again!

Not only did major parliamentary parties not effectively protest against the excavations by making some legislative move (or even waking up the Supreme Court). Strange notions on negotiations are doing the rounds. They have the seeming compliance of these ‘secular’ political parties, especially the Congress, which now and again makes noises for the record about ‘settlement through Courts’. In the name of ‘negotiated settlement’, the Muslim Personal Law Board, the Hindutva organizations who violated the law and destroyed the Masjid and some Shankaracharyas are bantering/talking/not talking/blackmailing to ‘solve’ the problem. What is the status of these forces? Does the Muslim Personal Law Board own the Masjid or even the site? The Babri Masjid was a 400-year-old heritage site of all Indians. A violence was done on it and it was broken down in a premeditated, criminal act and in absolute violation of explicit Supreme Court orders. The convoluted logic used to justify this act – that the Masjid stood over a destroyed temple and violated the sentiments of Hindus – has also, though unnecessarily, been proved to be a blatant lie. Punitive action should have followed this vandalism, but it did not – not on individual vandals, nor on the leaders of the organized vandalism, nor on the executives (the CM and the PM) who were to protect the Masjid.

What remains to be done then? Punitive action must follow, and the Masjid must be rebuilt. These are the only logical steps, the only acts of justice and the only plausible next step for the Courts. They can be the only demands of truly secular forces. The ‘opposition to communal forces’ can hold no ground – and is holding none – without all forces who call themselves secular upholding these clear-cut demands and organizing the people in struggle for the same. Without this clarity, this single demand being practically fought for in a clear-cut fashion by all such forces, only condemnations and protests cannot fight communalism and communal forces.

The people must be involved around this demand. Because the people are only potential ballot papers in ballot boxes for the mainstream ruling class political parties. The communal weapon to secure the electoral end and to deflect people’s anger from the real issues has been used not only by the BJP and its Hindutva hordes but for many years by the Congress itself. This includes the current issue and the specific points need no reiteration. The problem is, even now this is the situation. Keeping the so-called ‘electoral potential’ in view, stands of the maximum ruling class parties alternate between versions of “soft Hinduism” and “hard Hindutva”. Opposition to the hard Hindutva of BJP communal variety ends up openly or surreptitiously backing the Congress, and the solution is looked for in Govt. changes. Rather people of India need a clear-cut secular demand, path and struggle put coherently before them. The presumption must be violated, that it is the Muslims who want the historic Babri Masjid to be rebuilt, and that this is not the desire of any sense of justice or secularism. But no; ‘talks’ are on, excavations are on; the whole judiciary and the polity are onlookers who sometimes grumble.

A second issue exists. It is about the way the Supreme Court and the lower Courts are working on the issue. From the token nature of the punishment by the Supreme Court to the then CM of UP, Kalyan Singh, from its self restraints in restraining lower courts from violating the sanctity of its own positions – the Courts are exposing themselves well indeed. Those supposedly conspiring to attack Parliament House must be sentenced to death post haste. But when those who raped and murdered at will walk away whitewashed by non-conviction, no ‘suo motto’ notice is taken by the Court. In any case, the challenge is concrete now before the highest court of the country – with even the possibility of a historical fact gone away from the majority communal hordes, will the Supreme Court order rebuilding of the Babri Masjid?

Indian archeology will of course, never live down the blot on its face for what is passing for honest archeological excavations at Ayodhya. Why should a scientific body not ensure scientific processing of all evidences? Why should pieces of green mosaic (evidence of a Muslim construction), pieces of bone etc. not be properly sifted and stored. If events at the excavation site have been scientifically monitored at all, it was due to the watchful vigilance of the eminent historians committed to crossing the communal purpose of a potentially scientific exercise. And who knows. Maybe more help from the ASI is in store. It can just lock away the material saying it needs time for reports. The Court can use this to shelve the issue, and the Hindutva forces get all the rein they need.

Communal conspiracies of the ruling classes have always been to divert the attention of the people from their real issues, besides for electoral ends. The Congress has done the same for years using Hindu communalism, and on the entire Punjab issue before Indira Gandhi’s death. No doubt even the Ram Temple issue was given life by Rajiv Gandhi opening the doors of Babri Masjid in 1986. But the violation of faith with the Indian people should be seen even earlier. It lies in the credibility given by the ruling elite to the act of ‘appearance of idols’ itself in 1949. How can this happen in any place, sacred or otherwise? It is a fine proof of how the backwardness and superstitions of the vast masses have always been used by our rulers. Of course, alongside continual denial of scientific education (or any education at all) has coexisted the blatant exploitation of religious sentiments for political ends.

The continual rise of the Babri Masjid issue over the past few months should be seen not only from the BJP’s electoral compulsions but also from the economic crisis of India. The pro-imperialist new economic policies have exacerbated want and poverty and as all state governments are following the same policies, they too can deliver nothing to the people. Thus they all need that social contradictions in India – casteist, religious etc. – should be brought to boil, so that the real issues of the people can be made hazy in their own perception and be put on the backburner. The hopes and aspirations of the people should be exploited and diverted along lines suitable to all ruling classes.