Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Eighteen years is a long time for a wound to scab over even Ayodhya,which once threatened to tear India apart,is now mere memory. There is an entire generation with no recall of the events of December 6,1992. The lead actors of that movement are slowly fading from the political mainstream. The BJP,which came to power on the crest of the Ram Janmabhoomi agitation,is now maintaining a studied silence as it awaits the verdict of September 24,and appears keen to let the matter lie.
However,India is still on alert,and it is a measure of how incendiary and big the issue once was,and how dangerous the cinders of the movement could still prove to be. Religious bodies like Deobands Darul Uloom have appealed for a calm and composed reaction. Both the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government have been emphatic in their assurances of control. Chief Minister Mayawati had asked for about 63,000 paramilitary personnel to prepare for any eventualities,and while the Centre has considerably scaled down that request,the state is still on full alert for any signs of trouble. From the prime minister onwards,every level of administration is on guard. Meanwhile,it will be interesting to observe other parties like the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal,which also have stakes in the Ayodhya drama. It is election time in Bihar,and given that one of Lalu Prasads biggest talking points has been his decisive intervention in stopping the rath yatra and getting L.K. Advani arrested,he is unlikely to let this chance go by. However,so far,all mainstream parties have refrained from scoring political points from the old trauma of Ayodhya.
