Different standards for Ayodhya..in the era of short, fickle memories

Public memory is short and fickle, nowhere so, more than in India. It was not so long ago that the Government and the media were going after a particular religious group for organising a religious gathering at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the Central Government was still claiming that everything was fine. Hours and hours were spent on criticising them (part of it rightful criticism) and in villifying them using fake news items, even claiming that they spat upon doctors, something which the doctors themselves denied later.

Cut to now, the Government and the media have over the past few days been telling us about the elaborate preparations being made for Bhoomi Pooja at Ayodhya, at a time when we have hit 18.55 lakh cases and 39,000 deaths and even priests and police personnel posted at Ayodhya have tested positive. Not a single one of them have told us how this event is happening at an inopportune time and could cause further spread of the virus. Probably because they were busy building Ayodhya sets in their own studios, while their top anchors are busy setting up tents in Ayodhya itself to report live from the ground.

The Congress, which could have redeemed itself a bit by refusing to flow with this majoritarian assertion and push towards an intolerant, Hindutva rashtra, chose to beat the BJP at its own game, something which it will fail spectacularly at. On a suicide mission, they chose Rajiv Gandhi's path, rather than Nehru's.

So, in these times of fickle and short memories, many might not remember this remarkable speech made by CPI leader A.B.Bardhan, one of our best parliamentarians, before the religious terrorists demolished Babri Masjid. Those were simpler times, calmer times, when conversations and debates were possible. The fascists were yet to trample upon everything. Listen again, as we wait for this sad day, for there are only a few left to speak like this and take a stand like this now. However fewer the numbers may be, it still remains the right thing to say. And say we will.

Video link — https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10160230581318452&id=670978451

And holding this event on August 5 happens to be another attempt at erasure of memory...the memory of the fascistic abrogation of Article 370 and the entire population of Kashmir on August 5 last year. Lest we forget.

(Video from Anand Patwardhan's documentary Raam Ke Naam )