By TwoCircles.net Team
New Delhi: Muslims in India today (17 years after the demolition) are not very candid regarding the Liberhan Commission report on Babri Masjid demolition. The long time the commission took itself has dampened their spirit and hope of justice. They are not hopeful of any concrete government action on the report. “Though the report has finally been submitted to the Prime Minister, it seems it would take another 17 years to take any action against the culprits,” says a journalist in Delhi.
Our reporters in Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi talked to Muslim leaders and commoners to get their reaction on the Liberhan report.
Mumbai:
The Muslims of Mumbai, though angry at the 17-year delay in submitting the Liberhan Commission report, have expectation that the report will be providing them with justice.
‘The report will be a book of justice because what happened at the time of demolition of Babri Masjid, lakhs of people were witness to that,’ said Sayyid Athar Ali, the president of All India Ulama Association adding that ‘We support the demand of Zafaryab Jilani that the report be tabled in the parliament.’
There are some names including L K Advani, Kalyan Singh and Uma Bharti about which the media reports have started indicating might be in the list of the culprits.
‘Though there has been long delay, we welcome the report. We are yet to get justice and (if got) then it is also a reality that justice delayed is justice denied. However, the justice demands that all the culprits should be arrested and tough punishment should be meted out on them,’ said Aslam Ghazi, secretary of public relations of Jamaat-e-Islami Maharashtra adding that no justice will be done until the Babri Masjid is built again in Ayodhya.
The unexpected and tremendous victory of UPA in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections has created a favorable atmosphere for Congress. The president of Mumbai Aman Committee Farid Shaikh opined that due to the pressure from the Hindu culprits the report was delayed. ‘Now, when even some secular Hindus have been in the favor of Congress, the report has been presented.’
Maulana Mustaqeem Ahsan Azmi, the president of Jamiat-e-Ulama Maharashtra calling the delay a ‘politics’ said that the report is only a lollypop to reduce the concerns of Muslims. He added that seeing the attitude of the government in other Muslim related issues ‘we do not hope anything good for the community.’
Delhi:
Dr Malik Rashid Faisal, Senior Editor, The Sunday Indian, News Weekly (Urdu):
“The dilly dallying of liberahan Commission report till 17 long years clearly indicates the apathy of the concerned authorities towards a serious issue of Indian secularism because the demolition of Babri mosque has put a big question mark on religious tolerance in the country. Of course, as long as the names of big fishes are involved in any case, it remains the same attitude of any government. About 8 crores have been spent on this commission report and that is totally unjustified. Though the report has finally been submitted to the Prime Minister, it seems it would take another 17 years to take any action against the culprits. The witnesses to the case were not cooperative to the commission as according to Justice Liberahan, so it appears that the report is not going to do justice. The whole world is witness to the incident of the demolition and everyone knows that Leaders like L.K.Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti, and Sadhvi Rithambara have played with the communal sentiments of Hindus.”
Kerala:
Kerala Muslims don’t have a lot of expectations in the Liberhan Commission Report which they think will add to the existing list of commission reports gone futile. The delay of 17 valuable years since the setting up of this commission is not something to be forgiven.
“Many enquiry commissions have come and gone without any measures taken as per the findings. The Liberhan Commission report has come 17 years late. We have lost faith in these commissions. If we have to think otherwise, we should get at least one example which has a good result,” said Adv. KM Ashraf.
Several commissions and committees have brought out their reports, majority of which, now rest in waste baskets. This has formed up the opinion of the people that such enquiry commissions are a mere eye-wash.
According to Mr. Abdul Ali, retired engineer, the report won’t point out any hard facts and convict any noted leader. “Whatever be the case, it will surely be a headache for the government,” he said.
Whether the Commission points towards the guilty or tries to save the big names, the UPA Government will have to act its part very clearly. Mr. Aboobaker, retired teacher hopes that the government will do the necessary to punish the guilty.
Ms. Beefathima, teacher, feels that such a long delay, in a matter that deeply wounded Muslims, is unforgivable in a secular country like India.
The general feeling is that this report too will be like the other reports, finding its place in debates and discussions, while never being implemented.
Lucknow:
Omar Peerzada, Jt. Secretary, AMUOBA Lucknow:
It is voluminous so there is likelyhood of government taking time to get into public domain. It is mandatory that report should be put in this session of Parliament. Where the report will go from here it’s BIG Question. I think it is litmus test for the ruling party and can be used as a political tool depending upon the finding.
Though it too late but we should collectively thank Justice Liberhan for this probe and submission of Report. We have faith in this Government that it will make the best of the effort to punish the culprits who have mass raped the Indian Constitution on 6th december’92.
I request all like minded people of India should start a campaign like e-mails, letters, sms , articles to impress upon the government so that this commission report should not be thrown in the dustbin….like it has been with past reports. its our Collective Duty to come forward and join hands to make Government accountable to take action on its finding , and book the culprits. I am sure rule of law will prevail.
(Inputs from Abdul Hameed in Mumbai and Najiya O. in Kochi)