Athar Husain is the Director at Centre for Objective Research and Development, a Lucknow-based organisation that works in the field of education. Established by a group of scholars, academicians, civil right activists and prominent professionals of different fields, CORD has envisaged a blueprint for comprehensive development of civil society, where there is no discrimination in the name of religion, gender and caste.
Apart from working with CORD, Athar is also a seasoned political commentator and is often quoted by the national media on political news especially those related to Uttar Pradesh. In this interview, Athar talks about the Ayodhya verdict, the work of his organisation and how Muslim youths are adopting new technologies to explore new employment opportunities.
What were your feelings in the run-up to the Ayodhya verdict and what were you expecting in terms of the impact of the Babri Masjid verdict?
To be honest, I was mostly busy with family as we had a wedding. As an Indian, I was sure nothing would happen but of course, there was a fear that in far-flung areas, where policing may not be as strong as expected but I did not have any major worries.
When the verdict came, did it surprise you?
When I first saw the synopsis, I had this idea that the verdict was on expected lines. I had a distinct sense of relief…Muslim sides had been taken into consideration. The verdict made it clear that no temple had been demolished to make way for the mosque. Our stand was vindicated and the entire RSS argument was based on the point that a temple was broken by Muslim invaders. The term “Babur Ki Aulaad” (Sons of Babur) doesn’t make sense now. The argument that temple existed will no longer hold water. Now, we can seek peace.
The Supreme Court also took into consideration that the statues installed in the temple were wrong and that the 1992 demolition was a wrong act. In that way, it was a well-worded verdict. We must also remember that the land awarded to the Muslims was through a decree. The verdict was a balancing act. More than anything, it was a sense of relief; everything will be okay.
There was a lot of people who dismissed the 5-acre plot allotted. Others expressed their unhappiness over the verdict and asked for a review. What was your opinion?
When I went through the entire verdict, I was really interested to see the mention of the 1991 Places of Worship Act as a basic structure of the Constitution. This means that the challenge to other places of worship, places which people thought was also under threat after Babri Masjid. By mentioning the Act, SC has essentially has put an end to the fact that other places of worship are also under threat. So, there is nothing to worry on the lines of “Ayodhya to jhaanki hai, Kashi Mathura Baaki hai (a slogan made popular around the Babri Masjid demolition) unless of course, the right-wing effectively changes the constitution completely. Through social mobilisation, we have achieved this and its importance cannot be negated.
Secondly, the response to the 5-acre plot, the Muslim organisations need to first understand the legality of the verdict. The verdict specifically decrees in favour of the Sunni Waqf Board, the main party and that is as much a part of the verdict as anything else. This, again, should be seen in conjunction with the 1991 Places of Worship Act. When you do that, the verdict seems balanced.
But the review petition and the merits of it…how do you see that playing out?
First of all, we must remember that Muslims pledged to honour the verdict of the Supreme Court. Muslim clergies have a better understanding of the Quran and the Hadees. They said that they would abide by the verdict. Some might say that a review petition is a part of honouring the verdict and the legal process, which is a fair point. If they are doing so (filing a review) for the sake of it, then it’s okay. But then, I believe that they should have made this clear when they said they will abide by the verdict that if the verdict does not go favour, they will seek a review. Also, there is the last resort of a curative petition in case the review petition is not accepted. They should make it clear now whether they will take that course or not.
I think they (the Muslim leaders who were fighting the Babri Masjid verdict) are confused. They do not know what they are fighting for.