Ayodhya’s Idle Makers

At the karyashala, work on pillars and domes for the proposed Ram temple have all but stopped. Those that were built in the early Nineties lie one on top of another in a forgotten heap. The workers’ enthusiasm has also ebbed. And with all this the karshayala’s tourist status has vanished.

Once barricades had to be put to contain overzealous karsevaks who dropped by to have a mandatory glimpse of the karyashala. Today, there are no karsevaks and no more frenzied cries of Jai Shri Ram.

In heated discussions in Ayodhya, Mandal II has replaced Mandir as the topic of conversation.

AT the workshop where work began in 1989, long before the Babri masjid was demolished, marble was being ferried all the way from Sirohi, Bansi Paharpur in Rajasthan. Karsevaks trooped in from all parts of the country. Hundreds of craftsmen worked round the clock, giving shape and structure to huge marble slabs.

The karyashala became central to the BJP and VHP’s identity in Ayodhya, and in fact, in the whole country. But that was a long while ago.

Chandu Nath, and Lakhan Ram, craftsmen from Mirzapur and Bharatpur respectively, have been carving beams and pillars of the temple since 1992 at Rs 130 and 160 a day at the karyashala. They are pretty sure the project is a lost case. Says Chandu, ‘‘Kya maloom par raha hai yahan par mandir banega?’’

Chandu and Lakhan are among the 10 craftsmen here. The workshop once accommodated about 180-odd craftsmen.

THE two supervisors at the karyashala, Annu Bhai and Girish Bhai, are quick to defend the slump. ‘‘Almost 40 per cent of the work has been completed. The first floor of the temple is ready and since we don’t have any space to keep the marble we’ve stopped its supply and so have to cut down on the work force.’’

But Annu Bhai, who’s been here since 1990, can’t keep the cynicism out of his voice. ‘‘I hope the temple is built within my lifetime otherwise my 16 years of hardwork will come to nothing. Even Ramji’s exile lasted for 14 years, mine has already come to 16 years.’’

However, VHP’s regional media-incharge Sharad Sharma cites money-saving reasons for the slump. ‘‘Since the VHP is only the custodian of the money donated by the Hindu samaj for the construction of the Ram mandir, we do not want to waste it by keeping an inflated workforce.’’ The Mahant of Hanumangarhi Baba Gyandas thinks otherwise. He puts it all to the shrinking popularity of the VHP. ‘‘Whenever elections are due, they have used Ram lala as a polling agent. He becomes an issue every time polls are due.’’

OUTSIDE the workshop and in the twin towns of Ayodhya and Faizabad, not many are complaining over the workshop’s silent turn. Says Surya Kant Pandey, a social worker in Faizabad, ‘‘Outsiders came here and created a communal atmosphere. Both the communities have tried to forget the incident as a hadsa, an accident and have got on with life. With the dip in the fervour at the karyashala, we have heaved a sigh of relief..it actually means that the VHP is unable to get the public money to finance the movement.’’

But many feel the silence is deceptive. Says Iqbal Mustafa, an educationist in Faizabad: ‘‘The people here are peace loving but it can take just a moment to inflame sentiments.’’

Ayodhya is hoping that moment never comes.