The groundbreaking ceremony in Ayodhya which took place on Wednesday marks as a celebration for the people who drew and supported the Ram Janmabhoomi movement; the moment which gave a new face to Hindu sentiments in India. The ceremony in Ayodhya put an end to bloodshed and a long-drawn legal battle.
As Lord Ram took steps towards a new hope, let’s have a look at those faces who drove the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in the 1980s.
Mr. LK Advani
Whether you are a BJP supporter or not, whether the news of politics interests you or not, you must have heard of the veteran LK Advani’s name. He is credited for BJP’s rise to prominence in national politics and, interestingly, it was his 1990 Rath Yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya that helped his cause.
Atop a Toyota bus, transformed into a chariot, Advani covered thousands of kilometers. The states he visited witnessed riots but he remained undeterred.
Although, before his Yatra could be culminated, he was arrested in Bihar.
Another campaign which Advani was a part of ended with the demolition of Babri Masjid. On VHP’s call, thousands of right-wing activists arrived at the site, to break the medieval-era monument. Advani is still being probed for fanning tensions.
Mr. Murli Manohar Joshi
Just like Advani, another veteran of BJP- Murli Manohar Joshi, too, was a part of the movement. Considered as “professor” in BJP, Joshi was with Advani when the mosque was razed and just like Advani, he, too, faces criminal charges.
Notably, both these leaders were missing from the groundbreaking ceremony. They were invited but skipped the event, considering coronavirus-necessitated precautions.
Lawyer Mr. K Parasan
Another one in the list who played an imperative role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement is lawyer K Parasan. He represented Hindus in the Supreme Court in the Ram Janmabhoomi- Babri Masjid dispute. Reportedly, he has now been made the chairman of the trust which will overlook the construction of temple at Ayodhya.
Uma Bharti and Sadhvi Ritambhara
The woman with whom the movement was linked is Uma Bharti. The national vice-president of BJP, Bharti was the most influential woman involved with it.
Another woman who played a pivotal role was Sadhvi Ritambhara.
Before the mosque’s demolition, audio cassettes of the firebrand leader where she purportedly explained how Lord Rama was stripped of justice became hugely popular.
Pramod Mahajan
Regarded as the brains behind Advani’s Rath Yatra, Pramod Mahajan recommended two dates — September 25 (Deen Dayal Upadhyay’s anniversary) and October 2 (Gandhi Jayanti) for the Yatra’s beginning, which, Advani wanted to walk from Gujarat to Uttar Pradesh which Mahajan suggested otherwise.
Ashok Singhal
Ashok Singhal, the chief of Vishwa Hindu Parishad for 20 years, dedicated all his resources for the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.
In 1984, he organized the VHP Dharma Sansad, which attracted seers and saints from across the nation and gave birth to the movement.
It was Singhal who got the model for Ram Temple made by noted temple architect Chandrakant Sompura.
Praveen Togadia and Vinay Katiyar
Praveen Togadia, who took the reins of VHP after Singhal retired, kept the movement alive through his fiery speeches. However, he has been sidelined in recent years due to his poor relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Another noted face, Bajrang Dal’s Vinay Katiyar spoke about why the Ram Temple should be built on almost all platforms. His speeches helped in galvanizing support.
Kalyan Singh
BJP’s Kalyan Singh worked as the local force driving the movement. As UP’s CM, he gave a free hand to activists who destroyed the mosque. However, after the demolition, Singh resigned paving the path for President’s rule. Another person who helped the movement was industrialist Vishnu Hari Dalmiya. His keen interest in Hindutva politics prompted him to drum up support for the temple.
