Ayodhya, Muslim Personal Law, Rajiv Gandhi, Bofors, Reservations, Rath Yatra, Narendra Modi and Ram Mandir!
A story that will make every single story you know look pale. This is an interesting thread 🧵 so tighten your seat belt.
Lets start from independence because the story really picks steam from here
Babri Masjid was always a structure that drew emotions and British had kept a tight lid on this issue. With British gone and the country still trying to understand what independence is, something interesting happened in Ayodhya.
On the night of 23 Dec 1949, someone kept Ram Lalla’s statue inside the Babri Masjid. Next morning the word spread that Ram Lalla has appeared and people started coming to the masjid to pray.
Both Hindus and Muslims began to protest and petitions were given to access the structure.
The administration was quick to act and they put a lock - “taala” - on the room with Hindus allowed to do pooja from outside.
The issue slowly died down and life went on.
This still 1984!
Indira Gandhi was assassinated in 1984 which lead to Rajiv Gandhi becoming the PM.
RaGa senior was neither qualified nor ready for this role. He made mistakes after mistakes and his historic mandate was at risk of becoming an albatross around his neck. But his biggest mistake was about to come now 👇
In 1978, an affluent advocate in Indore named Mohd Ahmad Khan decided to divorce his first wife - Shah Bano. Mr Khan had 2 wives and he was living with both of them and then one fine day he divorced Shah Bano who was 62yrs.
Shah Bano went to Supreme Court and won a case for Alimony. The alimony was some 200 bucks a month. The muslim bodies created a huge and cry that this was against Islamic laws
This is shah Bano. The lady behind the Ram Mandir!
Muslim leader made petitions to Rajiv Gandhi who in his ultimate wisdom decided to change the personal law for Muslims using his brute majority in Lok Sabha.
The law was - Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act 1986
This law changed the alimony rules for Muslims where alimony is payable only if the divorce happens within 90days of the marriage. And he did retrospectively so that Shah Bano is covered by this law
Shah Bano was left with no alimony
This law changed the mood of the country. Suddenly Muslims started to boost that they can get laws changed in the country using their veto.
By 1986, Rajiv was already struggling and this led to a massive counter polarization against him by Hindus.
He needed something
So Rajiv did what only a PM with poor understanding can do.
He ordered opening of the taala at Ayodhya to allow pooja of the murtis. Suddenly Babri Masjid and Ayodhya came on the front pages of the newspaper
We are still in 1986 and the world is churning!
The key person behind this advice to Rajiv was Arun Nehru
Rajiv doubled down and even went to do the ground breaking for the Ram Mandir which was telecasted live on Doordarshan.
Yes the ground breaking for the Mandir was done by Rajiv himself and he made sure it was telecasted live.
The issue was up again but it died down as ground breaking was done slightly away from the masjid and both Hindus and Muslims waited for the next step.
But Rajiv got entangled in Bofors and before anyone could anything, Rajiv was out of power and in came VP Singh (the biggest beneficiary of Bofors scandal)
His govt was always on shaky ground with exodus of Hindus from Kashmir and the fallout of Berlin Wall demolition
To push up his political career, he brought the Mandal commission report (which was biting dust for over a decade). With a stroke of his pen, he increased the reservation to 49%
Suddenly the politics of India changed. Protest broke out immediately across the country with few people self immolating
The most covered was Rajiv Goswami burning himself to death
BJP which was fighting to grow suddenly caught sleeping.
It had 2 MPs in 1984 and was starting to gain traction. But Mandal commission absolutely broke the Hindu vote bank right in the middle
BJP needed to do something- Mandal led to Kamandal!
BJP sensed that it needed something to unite the Hindus again. So came the Rath yatra by Advani.
From Somnath to Ayodhya. With one mission - build Ram Mandir
The Rath yatra united Hindus like never before.
The common phrase that came up was -
Q: What is your caste?
Ans- Hindu
The Rath yatra began and guess who RSS/Advani picked to be the man managing the who thing-
Narendra Damodardas Modi
The yatra was stopped by Lalu in Bihar and Advani was arrested.
But the fire had been lit. Mandal protest were forgotten and Babri Masjid issue came on the front
In Dec of 1992, Karsevaks came together and demolished the Majid and a temporary temple was made for Ram Lala.
The issue then froze. Nothing happened. BJP came in power and yet nothing happened
In other news, Guj BJP unit was struggling.
So in 2001, ABV and Advani decides to send Modi from Delhi to Guj as CM.
Modi had no administrative experience. He wasn’t even an MLA.
In Feb of 2002, there were few karsevaks returning from Ayodhya.
S6 boggy of Sabramati Express was locked and then lit on fire.
59 people died and riots began in Guj.
Modi was yet to win his MLA election and his biggest challenge was before him.
Over the next 12yrs he faced fire by everyone - media, RSS, congress, CBI.
In 2014, he became the PM
On 22nd Jan, 2024, Modi will be around to welcome Ram Lalla in back to his temple
The most interesting story which is filled with coincidences and blood will finally see its end!
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