The cat is out of the bag! The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) report—not accepted by the usual belligerent Muslim faces who pose as the representatives of the entire Muslim community—has proved that the Gyanvapi was erected on the debris of a Vedic Shiv Mandir. The destruction of the original shrine took place during the time of Aurangzeb, as also noted in Maasir-i-Alamgiri and certain other books. Incidentally, when historian Arnold Toynbee was invited by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to deliver the Azad Lecture at ICCR, he had expressed his disgust regarding disputed Gyanvapi structure. It was unfathomable to him that it was still standing at a place where Aurangzeb had pulled down the Shiv Mandir.
Honour Archaeological Findings
For a start, the author isn’t carrying any political or religious outfit’s brief except that of Bharat Mata (Mother India)! Recently, even the great Leftist historian and AMU professor Irfan Habib accepted the demolition of Ram Mandir. Archeologist KK Muhammed has no doubt that disputed Gyanvapi structure was built on a desecrated and demolished Mandir.
Nevertheless, Habib added that opening such cases with a feeling of resurgence or vengeance would turn Bharat into a divided nation, coinciding with the remark of RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat that not each mosque be dug for finding a Mandir underneath. A very sagacious and sensible statement! Truth is that the Vedic civilisation is thousands of years old and possibly every other house or mosque might be built on the debris of a destroyed Mandir, if the digging goes on. Besides, today’s Muslims must not be punished for the misdeeds of the Muslim emperors and sultans, who had spread Islam by swords unlike the Sufi saints who, through their behaviour of caring, sharing and loving in their khanqahs (shrines), truly following the peaceful and progressive path, as led by Prophet Muhammad. Unfortunately, the majority of Muslims today have taken a U-turn from his path that harboured tranquility, tactfulness and tenderheartedness.
Do Not Repeat the Ayodhya Mistakes
Before the case of Gyanvapi is discussed, the author would like to attract the readers’ attention to that phase of Ram Mandir, while it was in the Apex Court. At one point, the court suggested that the matter may be settled out of court. That was a opportunity for the Muslim community’s senior clerics and intelligentsia to make the offering of Ram Mandir to Hindu brethren, recognising that Bhagwan Ram is to Hindus as Allah is to Muslims. They should have prayed that with that gesture of theirs, the feeling of animosity between Hindus and Muslims disappear forever.
The author himself had been suggesting this for the last three decades to his co-religionists. Alas, this never happened! Had this happened, the large-hearted Hindu community would even made donations for the Babri Masjid. Sadly, the Muslim community failed to understand the Hindu community and held that whatever the court would decide, it would be accepted. It happened that way and Muslims had to cut a sorry figure, only because of egocentric mindset.
Instead, the graceful offerings, creating space both for the Mandir and mosque might have worked wonders for Muslims opening innumerable doors of opportunities in all walks of life by the Hindu brethren, as put forth by the author to the Muslim who’s who! Had the offer of Ram’s birthplace been made in an ambience of amelioration, a strong potentiality could have been that the Hindus would even have sacrificed their claims for Kashi and Mathura!
It is said that opportunity knocks the door only once; however, in the case of Gyanvapi, the said missed opportunity during Ram Mandir’s time, has now, once again knocked at their door. This case, too, is in the court and the Shankaracharya, too, has made a plea to the Muslim community to gift Gyanvapi to Hindus. Those Muslims who, after the Supreme Court verdict, claimed that they never shed tears or took to roads, is nothing great as they had no way out, other than to accept the decision. Nevertheless, truly graceful was the Hindu community that didn’t thump its chest or indulged in “Jashn-e-Chiraghan”, (festival of lights) on November 9, 2019 after the SC verdict. They were graceful in victory.
Contesting AIMPLB
However, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), an incorrigible platform that has only tarnished the image of Muslims, filed a review petition, that immediately resulted in fiasco with allegations that a lot of money in pounds was collected in the UK for filing the petition. The AIMPLB feels it is its right to dictate terms and espouse views on issues that extend from the public domain of Indian Muslims to the privacy of their bedroom. Stoke a controversy involving the community and the usual suspects start emerging from the murky and infested woodwork of the AIMPLB. Even average Muslims think that the AIMPLB might be doing some good religious work as they are totally uneducated about its machinations! The Muslim community should not depend on “court marriage” each time as they are going to lose not only Gyanvapi and Shri Krishna birthplace in Mathura but perhaps other places too. Amelioration is the best way forward.
Truth is that owing to the stoic egoistical mindset, Muslims will not go in for an amicable solution/settlement to offer Gyanvapi and Mathura Eidgah but will gleefully give away the mosques and monuments via “court marriage”. Of course, in Gyanvapi case, the SC has asked not to allow the ASI survey but it’s apparently a temporary respite.
“Muslims should hand over Gyanvapi and Shahi Idgah mosques to Hindus. All the religious leadership should in unison hand over these structures to the Hindu community. Kashi, Mathura and Ayodhya are very important for Hindus as they depict Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna and Lord Shri Ram. There are no emotions attached to Muslims for these mosques.”-KK Muhammed, Former Regional Director (North), Archaeological Survey of India
In the long run, may be, the Apex Court suggests a via media that the mosque is not pulled down and the Vedic prayers also continue, as was being done for hundreds of years when Hindu women used to perform Shringar Gauri prayer (albeit weekly, until it was objected to by the Gyanvapi Masjid Anjuman, allowing the matter to go out of their hands).
Of course, assuaging the hurt sentiments of Muslims, having lost the Ayodhya mosque, a way, based on mutual understanding, may be arrived at. Let composed clerics and intellectuals handle all such matters, and not the belligerent so-called representatives of Muslims on television debates and other print and electronic media agencies.
Support the Sane Voices
In general, 75 per cent Muslims didn’t object to the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, except a chosen few, who were politically motivated. However, after Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi had attended the Ayodhya consecration, as part of goodwill for joining lacerated hearts and bridges between Hindus and Muslims, some Muftis from Fatwa Classes, issued the Fatwa of Kufr (excommunication), stating that it was un-Islamic on his part to visit Mandir. Truth is that such Fatwas are baseless and have no following among Muslims. Umer Ilyasi has been attending most of the interfaith programs within RSS, VHP etc. Such participation further strengthens his faith because Islam highly reveres all the other faiths. As a verse states, Lakum dinokum waley yadeen, meaning, to you, your religion, to me, mine! Besides, Imam Umer says that he isn’t scared of any, Sar tan se juda (slashing of throat) threat as this is not Allah’s but “mulla’s” Islam. Moreover, he participated in the Pran Pratishtha (consecration) as it was also the nation’s consecration for beginning a new phase of the amalgamation of Hindu-Muslim bonds! “Serving Mother India is my supreme duty as I have fullest faith in Indian Constitution!” expresses Ilyasi. In that spirit, let interfaith peace and harmony prevail so that, truly, Bharat becomes the Vishva Guru.
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