The destruction of Babri Masjid bridged the class divide among Muslims, giving them a unitary identity and new political awareness
Rarely has the destruction of a single building impacted history as much as the demolition of Babri Masjid. Apart from becoming a watershed in the history of Indian politics, it has emerged as the defining moment for the Indian Muslim community — as significant as the partition of India, but while partition impacted and continues to impact Indian Muslims negatively, the Babri demolition gave new life and direction to the community.
Intra-community linkages
At partition, most of the Muslim middle class migrated to Pakistan, leaving a few rich and many poor Muslims behind with little or no social, educational or cultural interaction between them. The vast majority of poor Muslims felt orphaned. Coupled with this was the structural exclusion of the Muslim community from the general domain of development by the establishment and society at large, restricting access to educational, economic and development opportunities that reduced the community’s circumstances to a level below that of Dalits, according to available data. Even the Constitution of India excludes Muslims from the domain of entitlements by extending reservations on religious lines — available only to caste Hindus and not to Muslims or Christians.
But around the phenomenon of demolition of Babri Masjid and the agitations and violence that preceded, accompanied and followed it, a sense of commonality, belonging and empathy developed within the Muslim community due to the shared sense of insecurity and increased profiling irrespective of their class or location. This resulted in the emergence of a connect between the elite, the emerging middle class and poor Muslims, leading to increased and sustained intra-community interaction and collaboration in the social, educational, economic and political spheres. This in turn led to the establishment of organisations and institutions at different levels to further the educational, economic and social development of Muslims in general and of poor Muslims in particular. So many and so varied avenues for development were never available to poor Muslims before and most of these were being provided by rich and middle-class Muslims. Even if this did not greatly improve the situation of the community, it at least arrested the slide into greater impoverishment.
A new Muslim identity
In the phase before the Babri demolition, most elite and educated Muslims did not fully identify with the community. The general perception about a Muslim was that s/he was a poor, illiterate and orthodox person. Educated and elite Muslims often heard a comment that “you don’t look like a Muslim, you don’t act like a Muslim” and they felt happy at not being bracketed with a community perceived as backward. With the dissociation of the educated and elite Muslims from the community identity, its image suffered even more, making Muslims easy targets for ridicule and hate, and exclusion from the spheres of development, entitlements and even claims of equal citizenship.
The Rath Yatra and the accompanying communal frenzy that gripped the country, leading to riots and culminating in the demolition of Babri Masjid, succeeded in creating a common Muslim stereotype that encompassed all sections and classes. Further, while derision was initially restricted to poverty and backwardness of the community, in the communally surcharged atmosphere of the 70s to the 90s the culture, practices, traditions and even the religion of Muslims became targets for hate.
Every Muslim — including the elite — started to feel insecure and realised the injustice of it all. Educated, middle class and elite Muslims revolted against such profiling and began asserting that yes, they are indeed Muslims and proud to be so. Atheist Muslims too started accepting their socio-political Muslim identity even as they rejected faith. Thanks to Hindutva forces that destroyed the mosque, all Muslims were united as one community with a single identity. (Post 9/11 and with Islamophobia, this process has started acquiring international dimensions). The irony was that the Hindutva slogan of those times “Garv se kaho hum Hindu hai” (say with pride I am a Hindu) remained a slogan, but got Muslims to accept their “Muslimness” and assert it openly.
This broad, all-encompassing “Muslim” identity became the trigger for numerous initiatives for the development of the community funded generously by and, and in some cases, with active and sustained participation of educated and rich Muslims. Not just that, it also resulted in the initiation of new political processes in the community and the country with far reaching implications.
Political transformation
With Babri Masjid went too the traditional Muslim leadership that had made the Babri issue the primary Muslim agenda for almost a decade and had kept the community confined within the concerns of security. Muslims started searching for new leaders and new agendas — this time, of justice, equality and development. As a result, they accepted even non-Muslims like Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad Yadav and N.T. Rama Rao as leaders.
The Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid movement and the resultant formation of the BJP government at the Centre made Muslims realise the importance of who rules and its impact on the security, identity, culture and economy of the community. This led to greater political awakening and participation of Muslims in political processes, ending their earlier indifference to politics. For all Muslims, politics became a matter of life and death.
With the community’s greater participation in the electoral processes, the political influence of Muslims is slightly more than their numbers because of the increased turn-out and tactical use of the vote. The Muslim vote has emerged as an important political factor with two objectives: keeping BJP out and securing rights and entitlements that are due to them as citizens.
For the first time after independence Muslim concerns entered the domain of rights and entitlements. It is this awakening of the Muslim community to their rights as citizens and growing demands for a politics of entitlement that compelled the Congress government to constitute the Sachar Committee and that led to the recommendations of the Ranganath Mishra Commission.
Given all these developments, it would be no exaggeration to say that demolition of Babri Masjid initiated the reconstruction of a community that constitutes over 14 per cent of the population and the reorientation of the political direction of a country.
Tailpiece
Had the domes of Babri remained intact, BJP could have been still setting the political agenda of the country and ruling the roost while the Muslim community would have continued to be mired in issues of protection and security.
Hindutva forces were able to use the domes of Babri Masjid as images of revulsion to mobilise masses for political gains. But with the domes destroyed, they seem unable to project the vision of the Grand Ram Temple to energise enough numbers to propel them to power once again.
Twenty years down the line, it seems moot to ask if the act of vandalism December 6, 1992 just brought down a Masjid, or has it also frustrated forever the desire of the Hindutva forces to rule the country.
(Mazher Hussain is Executive Director of COVA, a national network working on issues of communal harmony in India and peace in South Asia.)
Keywords: Babri Masjid demolition, Muslim community
BJP would be well advised to build bridges with the Muslim community in India if it ever
hopes to come to power. Congress is able to play on this successfully howsoever
unpalatable it is. If the Sikhs are able to accept Congress after 1984, there is no reason
why Muslims cannot do the same. The main difference is that Congress always had Sikh
leaders in it's fold. BJP must include more Muslims in it's party to achieve this. The lessons
from states like M.P., Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Goa, Gujarat must be replicated at the
National level to wean away the moderate Muslims away from the pseudos. Unless this
happens post haste, UPA 3 will become un avoidable.
Pesonally I don't care about religion, I still can not understand why these issues raise such passion. The focus of people must be to lead a better life where economic development and living standard must be the main concern.
You say that Muslims have accepted their Muslimness, but this has ultimately led to their isolation, most Hindus are paranoid about going into a Muslim dominated area. The concern here is, though we revel in our "diversity" we have made sure that every person is recognized on the basis of their religion. Shouldn't we be more concerned with creating an inclusive society? I don't belong to the Babri-ram leela generation so maybe i am missing the point, but talk to any youth of my generation, this issue and other "religious issues" are last of their priorities, igniting a dead fire does not help, we people need to learn to move on.
On the photo text shows 'Hindu Youth'... But actually they are Hindutva Terrorists. Why 'The Hindu' so soft on Hindutva Terrorists ?
My objection is to the writer's reference to the " rights
and entitlement " of Muslims in the course of his
article.He has not elaborated on that point but merely
mentions them as often as necessary.This is a far cry.Our
Muslim brethren are by far better than the Hindu pandits
of Jammu and Kashmir.If the government is not equally
concerned about our Muslim brethren why then it should
constitute evaluation bodies like Sachar Committee and
Ranganath Misra Commission? It is anything but true to
say that the destruction of Babri Masjid has been the sole
consolidating factor of the community.On the contrary it
is their religion that motivates most of the actions of the
community. God is only a question of faith and as such He
should be worshipped with due reverence yielding to the
paramountcy of the measures of social harmony.
I commend the essence of the write up .It awakens the spirit of Unity in the Muslim community that was in disorder and was in conflict with in itself.My compliments to Mr. Mazher Hussain for his transparent article.
Mr. Hussain Ji, agreed that the event had led to increased
interaction and strong connection between the rich and poor of the
Muslim community. And also led to the establishment of organisations
and institutions at different levels to help the poor Muslims. But
are you ignoring the fact that this has also led to the increased
hate towards the Hindu community, which in turn has widened the gap
between both the communities further. Triggering the numerous
initiatives of development within the Muslim community was at the
cost of initiating many destructive elements outside the community.
And when you say "With the dissociation of the educated and elite
Muslims from the community identity..." whose mistake is this? I feel
it should be the responsibility of the every educated and rich to
bring up the poor ones irrespective of any identity.
The author has tried to put the facts of the aftermath of demolition, neutrality. But I don't concur with the "TAILPIECE", which author has tried to convey. It's true in politics that to make the politics alive, particular issue should not be put at rest; but how long?? In order to retain faith of public there should be some development; not just agenda and manifesto!! Further it's also naive to say to quote that demolition has "frustrated forever the desire of the Hindutva forces to rule the country". During 92's that worked;this time some other event will work.
But the above reasoning apart, when we all Indians will come out from this community based and appeasement politics. Dire need is to move from this and do the the constructive politics to lead the nation.
And for this to happen firstly voters(specially Muslims) should break this 'teelasm' of vote polarization and vote accordingly so that no parties will try to take them granted.
Building of a temple is never going to solve any of the many issues of the society like poverty, illitracy, child abuse or corruption. But the breaking of one has caused enough trouble.
The view of the author is very positive and hope we all will realise the uselessness of the communal clashes and start living as brothers.
The learned author, like many other Muslim scholars who have written on the subject seems to be driving a common point and that is reflected in "Coupled with this was the structural exclusion of the Muslim community from the general domain of development by the establishment and society at large, restricting access to educational, economic and development opportunities that reduced the community’s circumstances to a level below that of Dalits".
As a citizen of this great nation, I want to know, who or how did any administration that be, post partition, discriminated against Muslim community as is being pointed by the author.
In my very very personal opinion, the author suffers from "self pity" that is reflected in the commentaries by many other scholars on the subject and also a gross denial of the fact that the prosperity of other communities haven't come by easily or overnight.
When the HC judgement on Ayodhya issue was delivered,I asked one of my muslim students from a
communally sensitive town if there was fear.Pat came the reply:it is an issue which no longer serves anybody and people didn't in the beginning even care to know what the judgement was.Such articles are perverted exposing a class bias as religion appeals more to the upper classes.India has moved and so has the muslim youth.Material conditions scores over religious emotions.Nor are the hindu youth as bigoted as it may have been.A strong thumbs down to several such articles in The Hindu!
I agree that Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid movement led to greater political awakening and participation of Muslims in political processes moreover it played an imperative role in bringing up a community.
It is not that this incident happened in a day. Both the communities were responsible for the same. There were several round of discussions to allow a temple in a nearby land. But, the fundamentalist never came to any compromise, then how the other party will negotiate? The claims that there was never a temple was discarded by the findings of ASI which excavated a hindu temple structure beneath that disputed structure. It was an opportunity for muslims tha time to come in front with a goodwill gesture rather than glorifying misdeeds of their extremist ancestors.
According to the author, in 1947 "most of the Muslim middle class migrated to Pakistan, leaving a few rich and many poor Muslims behind with little or no social, educational or cultural interaction between them." At which, he claims, there was also a 'structural exclusion" of Muslims from developmental processes. And yet, somehow a middle class not only again emerged but was by 1992 quite forceful. He writes: "So many and so varied avenues for development were never available to poor Muslims before and most of these were being provided by rich and middle-class Muslims." How did that happen, if there were structural exclusions? And wouldn't it be better to be guided by that experience than fall into the politics of reservations? Particularly the kind of communal reservations that serve the elite more than the truly needy.
it is really unfortunate on the part of India as a nation that it
failed to bring Muslim brethren in the mainstream citizenry even after
65 years of independence.They are still devoid of most of the economic
and social opportunities as compared to their Hindu counterparts.
Still Muslims are treated as aliens in their own country despite
having all faith and affiliation in the concept called India. India is
a secular country as per directed by the constitution...and it is
tantamount to crime if one discriminates anybody on the basis of
caste, creed or religion...but realization of this right is still a
utopian dream here....lower caste people are still treated
indifferently throughout the country. There needs to be a serious
moral upliftment on part of us to come out of this despicable
entanglement. Probably then only we will realize the dream of our
forefathers...
I do accept the fact that hundreds, or even thousands, of Hindu/Jain/Buddhist temples have been demolished to make way for the Mosques by the invading armies centuries ago. This can be seen not just from the accounts and proclamations of Muslim historians and rulers, but also from the presence of temple columns and sculptures within many of the historic mosques like Gyanvapi and Muslim monuments like Qutb Minar. But I consider it to be a childish argument that such perceived wrongs committed centuries ago need to be redressed by demolishing these mosques and constructing temples back on top of them. If so, how should we remedy the oppression of the Dalits by the Hindu upper castes for the last 2000 years? Should we inflict back upon the upper castes for the next 2000 years the same injustices they practiced earlier? If the modern world were to go by such a mentality of revenge over historical grievences, it would be at a state of perpetual war.
It is heartening to notice so many of your contributors are somewhat apologetic about the demolition of the Babri Masjid by their
coreligionist Hindus. Whatever was done by Mughal ruler Babar centuries
ago is no reason to demolosh a mosque NOW. What if the Taj Mahal was
built on a piece of land once occupied by a Hindu temple? Would they
also demolish the Taj?
So is the author saying that the Masjid demolition was good or bad? If Indian Muslims felt insecure and marginalised ever since our country became independent, what does Hindutva politics or rath yatras (which have become prominent only recently) have to do with that? Thoroughly muddled up article expected of the Hindu. Way to go.
reservations in India is not based on religion. It is based on the fact that the some of the communities in India have not developed for a long time and hence given. Unfortunately the article makes me to believe that the author's thinking is wrapped around a cocoon of his religious identity and hence does not hold much value.
No one takes an Indian muslim seriously. Yet, they have to say what they feel.
I don't think Mr Hussain has said something inflammatory. What is wrong if muslims believe in "keeping BJP out and securing rights and entitlements that are due to them as citizens". Not voting BJP is their political right and being expected to be treated as an equal citizen is something quite reasonable.
Hopefully, the spirit of dialogue continues and we learn to respect each others views.
I am wondering if the photo caption should have said hindu youth?
Identifying the people in the photo with a community no matter which is
akin to branding. Was it not more appropriate to say vandalizers, mob ,
or even miscreants? Just a thought.
I would disagree with the author in the sense that the bringing down of
the Babri Masjid contributed largely to the political awakening of the
muslim community in the country. Liberalization, globalization coupled
with better socio-economic indices and increased awareness resulted in
the transformation and revitalization among the muslim community.
Demolition of the Babri Masjid not only lifted the apprehensions among
the Muslims, but also raised questions on the democracy that the
country is so proud of. There have been many communal riots, the root
cause of which is the 6th Dec event. The uneducated youth in the
Muslim section are told and shown the atrocities and defamation of
their community and actuated to join the groups that aim at taking
revenge. Even after 20 years of the demolition, no matter what the
government does in favor of the Muslim community to raise the bar of
their expectation from this country, the feeling of agony and
suffering will mitigate the confidence that they would tend to have in
the democratic country, if at all any.
media is trying hard that no one forgets those wounds and trying to
inflame the communal feelings by publishing these kind of stories.
I am sure that the editorial board of 'The Hindu' did not read this article before publishing it. Reading between the lines, the author's assetion that Muslims were totally margenalised by the Society and Government is at best laughable. The contention that Muslims were condsidered below par with Dalits is a statment that could ferment communal tensions. And an 'atheist Muslim' as the author comments is an oxymoron.
The notion that muslim identity crystallised with the destruction of Babri-Masjid is far fetched. In other words, the Muslim League, Mazlis, Aligarh Muslim University and the Madrassas were show peices and were not promiting the Mulsim cause. Again the author is on thin ice.
Breaking of an ediface over an existing structure does not have enough glueing material to unite all muslims under one banner.
Comparision of 'Islamophobia' of the west and the identity of the Indian Muslim is uncalled for.
Waste of space.
please do not divide indian community on false propoganda.
This is lame attempt by writer to polarise the communities which is very dangerous and paper like The Hindu should be care ful.
further the article is not based on facts. I thought it was congress which was in power when babri was demolished. it is clever act by congress to keep blaming BJP but truth will not change. it is sad that a fanatics view is so blatantly published in your news paper.
The claims that BJP is gone forever is just wishful thinking. The nationalist party is here to
stay and is only growing in strength by the day.
while the babri masjid demolition will remain an troubled chapter in history and BJP has so
much to answer, most of Muslim backwardness is due to internal forces with the
community.
When is that going to acknowledged by muslims like masher hussain?
Dear Hussain Sahab, I am Proud Hindu by Culture and not by religion. As
against the general notion, "Divide and rule" was not given by british
but by invading muslim rulers. They themselves called us Hindu-the
natives of Hindustan(because of river Sindhu) as we have no word called
as Hindu in our ancient scriptures. So when they converted the natives,
they emphasised that now they are muslims and no longer Hindu(natives)
so their loyalty should now lie with muslim rulers in the name of
religion. Unfortunately, you people are still muslims(non-natives)and
not yet hindus(natives). this misconception and wrong understanding of
history had led to partition of india by Two nation theory. Despite
living for more than for 1000yr(during which may civilizations come and
go), you people could not accept this as your motherland. We didn't ask
for partition and please stop blaming hindus for post-partition
problems of muslims. If APJ can rise to become president of India, why
not other muslims?
While I don't support pulling down this mosque does the author agree
that the Ram temple and 100s of temples in India were destroyed because
of Mughal Invasion?
"like Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad Yadav and N.T. Rama Rao as leaders"
no dont we want more like them in this nation.....I always wanted to know who votes for them...
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