Invite you to visit the blog on the topic, containing some important responses from* progressive /secular sections of the intelligensia*...just trying to compile them into one blog, adding from the web either as direct texts or as links ;kindly help by sending similar texts/links which might help to take further this important debate in coming days. This is also with a view to attempting a consolidation of voices in favour of sanity, as opposed to those which favour passive surrender to the bullying. http://venukm.blogspot.com/
On Sat, Oct 2, 2010 at 11:05 AM, ram puniyani <[email protected]>wrote: > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: > > Mohammad Imran <[email protected]> > > *The verdict on Ayodhya: a historian's perspective* > > > Romila Thapar > > > > *It has annulled respect for history and seeks to replace it with > religious faith.* > > > > > > > – PHOTO: S.S. KUMAR > > *ROMILA THAPAR: We cannot change the past to justify the politics of the > present.* > > The verdict is a political judgment and reflects a decision which could as > well have been taken by the state years ago. Its focus is on the possession > of land and the building a new temple to replace the destroyed mosque. The > problem was entangled in contemporary politics involving religious > identities but also claimed to be based on historical evidence. This latter > aspect has been invoked but subsequently set aside in the judgment. > > The court has declared that a particular spot is where a divine or > semi-divine person was born and where a new temple is to be built to > commemorate the birth. This is in response to an appeal by Hindu faith and > belief. Given the absence of evidence in support of the claim, such a > verdict is not what one expects from a court of law. Hindus deeply revere > Rama as a deity but can this support a legal decision on claims to a > birth-place, possession of land and the deliberate destruction of a major > historical monument to assist in acquiring the land? > > The verdict claims that there was a temple of the 12th Century AD at the > site which was destroyed to build the mosque — hence the legitimacy of > building a new temple. > > The excavations of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and its > readings have been fully accepted even though these have been strongly > disputed by other archaeologists and historians. Since this is a matter of > professional expertise on which there was a sharp difference of opinion the > categorical acceptance of the one point of view, and that too in a > simplistic manner, does little to build confidence in the verdict. One judge > stated that he did not delve into the historical aspect since he was not a > historian but went to say that history and archaeology were not absolutely > essential to decide these suits! Yet what are at issue are the historicity > of the claims and the historical structures of the past one millennium. > > A mosque built almost 500 years ago and which was part of our cultural > heritage was destroyed wilfully by a mob urged on by a political leadership. > There is no mention in the summary of the verdict that this act of wanton > destruction, and a crime against our heritage, should be condemned. The new > temple will have its sanctum — the presumed birthplace of Rama — in the area > of the debris of the mosque. Whereas the destruction of the supposed temple > is condemned and becomes the justification for building a new temple, the > destruction of the mosque is not, perhaps by placing it conveniently outside > the purview of the case. > > Has created a precedent > > The verdict has created a precedent in the court of law that land can be > claimed by declaring it to be the birthplace of a divine or semi-divine > being worshipped by a group that defines itself as a community. There will > now be many such janmasthans wherever appropriate property can be found or a > required dispute manufactured. Since the deliberate destruction of > historical monuments has not been condemned what is to stop people from > continuing to destroy others? The legislation of 1993 against changing the > status of places of worship has been, as we have seen in recent years, quite > ineffective. > > What happened in history, happened. It cannot be changed. But we can learn > to understand what happened in its fuller context and strive to look at it > on the basis of reliable evidence. We cannot change the past to justify the > politics of the present. The verdict has annulled respect for history and > seeks to replace history with religious faith. True reconciliation can only > come when there is confidence that the law in this country bases itself not > just on faith and belief, but on evidence. > > > > > > > > *( Romila Thapar is a distinguished historian of Early India.)* > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "The Moderates" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]<the-moderates%[email protected]> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/the-moderates?hl=en. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "humanrights movement" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > . > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]<humanrights-movement%[email protected]> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/humanrights-movement?hl=en. > -- You cannot build anything on the foundations of caste. You cannot build up a nation, you cannot build up a morality. Anything that you will build on the foundations of caste will crack and will never be a whole. -AMBEDKAR http://venukm.blogspot.com http://www.shelfari.com/kmvenuannur http://kmvenuannur.livejournal.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "humanrights movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/humanrights-movement?hl=en.
