Keeping up with UP | Voices from the Muslim community on the transformation of the temple town

On December 30, 2023, an ecstatic crowd welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ayodhya with frenzied chants of “Jai Sri Ram”. As Modi's convoy moved into the temple town and drove past Ayodhya case litigant Iqbal Ansari’s house, he and his family showered rose petals to welcome the visiting dignitary.

PREMIUM This photograph taken on December 28, 2023 shows a flag depicting the Hindu deities Ram and Hanuman waving on a rooftop beside a mosque in Ayodhya. (AFP) Iqbal is the son of Hashim Ansari, the oldest litigant in the Babri Masjid Ram Janmabhoomi dispute who died at the age of 96 in 2016. He had filed his first petition in the court in 1949 after the idols of Ram Lalla were placed in the disputed shrine.

He was also a close friend of Ram Chandra Paramhans of Digambar Akhara, the oldest litigant from the Hindu side. There are tales of their friendship that survived the turbulence of the temple movement. Ansari and Paramhans often travelled to court in the same rickshaw, and met each evening for tea, which often turned into heated arguments as Paramhans forcefully told Ansari to hand over the disputed shrine to the Hindus, said Sharad Sharma, who is associated with Digambar Akhara since 1989.

Iqbal Ansari has been invited to the consecration ceremony on January 22. He also attended the Bhoomi Pujan held on August 5, 2020. Paramhans died in 2003. “They not only shared rickshaws while travelling as litigants to the court for years but often enjoyed evening tea together, and discussed challenges before the country,” said Iqbal Ansari.

“They often fought and argued over the emotive issue with Paramhans telling him to withdraw the claim on the shrine and hand it over to the Hindus. But that did not mar their friendship," Sharma said. Their friendship, running into decades despite the raging dispute, epitomises the culture of the legendary city, which has lived up to Ram’s ideals of communal harmony.

Provocative slogans were raised during the Vishwa Hindu Parishad Bharatiya Janata Party’s intensive campaigns from 1985 to 1992. But the city only saw arson and rioting in December 1992, after kar sevaks demolished the Babri Masjid, the shrine in dispute. Even Hashim Ansari’s family had to run for safety, but when they returned, the Ansari Paramhans friendship remained strong.

The demolition was followed by rioting and death, and both communities observed December 6 as Shaurya Diwas and Matam Diwas. Many local Muslims are of the view that the community has moved on after the Supreme Court verdict. Once the contentious dispute was settled in favour of Hindus, the construction of the Ram temple, its Bhoomi Pujan and its inauguration was bound to happen, many said.

They participated in the Bhoomi Pujan and now, will celebrate the consecration ceremony. “Those who have been witness to or suffered the 1992 violence are a bit fearful. We met the district administration and they assured us full safety. Thus, there is no cause for worry," said Azam Qadri, president of the Ayodhya Waqf Board.

Ayodhya, over the years, has stood testimony to communal amity, even though people clashed elsewhere in the country. “The frenzy in that year is indescribable. Though local people were not directly involved in the aandolan , they had thrown open the doors of their homes, providing shelter and food to kar sevaks , both in 1990 and 1992.

On December 6 only, a Muslim friend from Raiganj visited our home and as we heard provocative slogans, he got worried. I dropped him on my scooter. The fruit market has Muslim sellers and they did not close their shops till late afternoon as in the absence of social media and TV channels, the news of the demolition reached us only in the evening.

A stunned silence prevailed thereafter," Professor SS Mishra of Avadh University recalled. Sharma of the Digambhar Akhada said, “The late Mahant Paramhans often used to challenge Muslims from the dais, telling them to accept the historical wrong done centuries ago by Mughal emperor Babur. He used to tell Muslims: 'You are Bharatwasi and have not come from Arab.

They must hand over Ram Janmabhoomi to the Hindus.” He said many Muslims and their families were dependent on math mandir for their livelihood as they supplied flowers, and other puja accessories and made charan padukas (footwear). Even today, many Muslim artisans are engaged in the construction of a magnificent Ram temple.

“ Ayodhya dharm ki nagari hai aur yahan koi bhed bhav nahin hai . (Ayodhya is a religious city and does not discriminate),” Iqbal Ansari said. "Now we look forward to celebrations. Everyone here irrespective of his caste and community is now pleased by the development of the city, with which is linked their own progress.” Athar Hussain, spokesperson for the Indo Islamic Cultural Foundation, said, “The world will witness the Ganga Jamuni culture of the Avadh region, of which Ayodhya is the centre, on January 22.

It’s wrong to say that a particular community is feeling unsafe. This is the region where Hindus and Muslims fought together as a society in the 1857 First War of Independence. They have shared and struggled together. Communal amity is ingrained in our ethos. That’s why no communal clashes occurred in Ayodhya despite the communally surcharged atmosphere over an emotive and religious issue.

It’s time to celebrate.” The chief priest of the temple, Acharya Satyendra Das, was reported as saying: “We had a dispute only with the structure that was connected to the name of (Mughal Emperor) Babur. We have never had any issue with the other mosques and mausoleums in Ayodhya. This is a town where Hindus and Muslims live in peace." There are about 10 functional mosques in the Ayodhya town with a population of about 10,000 Muslims.

"Muslims offer namaaz, we perform our puja. The mosques adjacent to the Ram Janmabhoomi premises will strengthen Ayodhya's communal harmony and peace will prevail," he added. Ironically, the Babri Mosque for which land was allotted elsewhere in Ayodhya, whose blueprint is also ready, is facing a paucity of funds to go ahead with its construction.

Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath may spring a surprise and stump the opposition before the polls: besides developing the proposed Sufi circuit, also pave the way for its construction. That's the buzz in the state as of now. From her perch in Lucknow, HT’s senior journalist Sunita Aron highlights important issues related to Uttar Pradesh Unlock a world of Benefits with HT! From insightful newsletters to real time news alerts and a personalized news feed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Continue reading with HT Premium Subscription Daily E Paper I Premium Articles I Brunch E Magazine I Daily Infographics Subscribe Now @1199/year Already Subscribed? Sign In SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Share this article Share Via Copy Link Ayodhya Babri Masjid Ram Janmabhoomi.