Author: Sanjay K. Jha, in Ayodhya
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: February 22, 2002
The sant who has been the spearhead
of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and a major Hindutva protagonist has given
a call for arming all Hindus "if India was to be saved from disintegration".
Ramchandra Paramhans, who heads the powerful Digamabar Akhara in Ayodhya,
feels it was high time India discarded the 'Soft State' tag.
In an exclusive interview to The
Pioneer, Paramhans argued that the Ram Janmabhoomi movement was also aimed
at elimination of terror and in these disquiet times, all Hindus should
be given arms. He asserted, "Even we are ready to suspend the temple movement
and engage ourselves in the protection of our borders."
Describing the temple construction
as a symbol of Hindu renaissance, the 90-year-old sant said, a weak State
breeds terrorism. "If Ministers treat dreaded terrorists like sons-in-law
and escort them to Kandhar, terrorism will never come to an end in this
country," he said.
Paramhans expressed outrage at the
meaningless secular- communal debate on the Ayodhya dispute and questioned
the court's competence in settling this issue. "I will depend more on epics,
religious pundits and the faithfuls of this country than the court or the
Government. Court has to only decide whether the disputed structure was
a temple or mosque. I want to know from these judges, politicians and intellectuals
who are born in India whether they don't know if Ayodhya belonged to Babar
or Ram, whether Mathura belonged to Aurangzeb or Krishna."
He continued, "Who does not know
Babar was an intruder and he never came to Ayodhya? Can anybody show me
the land records which proves this site belonged to Babar? Why don't these
people understand I am not laying my claim on Jama Masjid or Ajmer Sharif.
I want the birthplace of Ram which nobody can deny me. Kya is desh mein
kabje ki manyata hai? Agar hai to deshbhakton ne Bharat ko Azad kyon kiya,
unka bhi to kabja tha saikron saal se. Hum kabje ki manyata ko sweekar
nahi karte (Is the culture of capture allowed in this country? If it is,
then why was the nation freed from British shackles. We do not recognise
the capture of our religious places by others.)"
The influential sant whose tantrums
forced the Uttar Pradesh Government to ease security restrictions in the
temple town, asked if the new Government in Afghanistan could talk of remaking
the Buddha statues demolished by the Taliban, "why can't the Vajpayee Government
do something to build the Ram temple in Ayodhya." He gives the answer himself:
"I understand Vajpayee's compulsions. He does not have majority. And in
a country where Parliament is paralysed for describing the Ram movement
as symbol of national pride, what can Vajpayee do?"
Asked if the BJP had not exploited
this movement for grabbing political power, he said, "I don't harbour any
grudge for that. What has the other parties done, didn't they play politics
of vote on the temple issue? These political parties have misguided Muslims
and made the Ayodhya issue more complex." Paramhans admitted that he supported
the BJP's stand on Article 370 and civil code too. He, however, distances
himself from the BJP if questions regarding corruption, economic policy
and incompetence of its governments are asked.
The veteran spiritual leader gets
a little irritated when asked if his agenda had disturbed social harmony.
"How dare you describe the Ram movement as divisive. Ram ne samaj ko jora
hai, tora nahin. Ram ne apni praja ke viswas ke liye apni patni ko chhora,"
he reels out a hundred mythical instances to prove the greatness of Ram.
Paramhans resents that he has been
described as anti- Muslim. "I am not. Kabir, Rahim, Raskhan, Beebi Taj,
Karu Mian ki bhakti nein hame rah dikhaya hai. Hum Musalman ke puja ke
tarikon ke khilaf bhi nahin. Lekin Musalman Bharat ke Constitution ko mane.
Who abhi bhi Bharat ki jameen ko punya bhoomi nahi manta. (I am not anti-Muslim,
I am not against their mode of worship. But Muslims still don't consider
our sacred land as their own too)."
He alleged that the Muslims still
don't have that kind of emotional attachment to India because of religious
roots.
Paramhans added: "Muslims are lecturing
me on the law of the land and Constitution. I don't agree that law can
decide on the Ram temple in Ayodhya... still I bow to its dictat and don't
get into the restricted area. But Muslims are not even ready to accept
the Uniform Civil Code. Nobody has fogotten what happened in the Shah Bano
case."
He also pronounced that Muslims
do not face any threat from Hindus. "Muslims came to us when they faced
annihilation in Pakistan. They didn't go to Iran, Iraq or Indonesia. We
saved Mujib and made him President. We didn't kill Muslims in Iraq or Afghanistan.
It's their bigotry that is their enemy. Even in Bangladesh, Hindus are
being tortured now. And if we speak for our rights, we are condemned. Manawata
ki sari thekedari hamne hi le rakhi hai kya?"
Paramhans also gave this oft-repeated
arguments to buttress his point: "If there are 10 Muslim houses in a Hindu
village, they can freely offer namaz, take out tajia procession and live
happily. But if there are 10 Hindu families in a Muslim-dominated village,
they can't think of taking out a Ramnavami procession or even celebrating
Holi." Paramhans added that Muslims cannot afford to have dual loyalty
and still enjoy special rights in India.
