43 year jail to man for attack at London mosque: India should have given stern punishment to those who demolished Babri Masjid

A man who drove into a mosque in United Kingdom, killing one and injuring nearly a dozen others, has been given a jail term of 43 years.

The man, Darren Osborne, had plowed into the crowd of devotees at mosque, killing a man--Mukaram Ali.

This incident had occurred in London. Osborne, 48, has been jailed for 43 years, with no chance of parole. Osborne had driven a rented van into devotees who were leaving the evening prayers during the Ramzan.

"The prosecutors said Osborne was motivated by a hatred of Muslims and was radicalized by online far-right and Islamophobic propaganda", reports NY Post.

The judge said that Osborne's mind had been poisoned by far-right extremist ideas and he showed no signs of remorse. Your mindset became one of the malevolent hatred, the judge said, adding that, 'this was a terrorist attack. you intended to kill'.

This is indeed exemplary. This is justice. Swift trial and sentence within a short time. The incident had occurred on June 18, 2017. The judgment came in less than a year. When the prosecution intends to get the accused, due sentence, and the courts deliver judgments timely, it leads to order in the society.

In India, we must learn from it. In 1992, Babri Masjid was demolished in full public view. The chief minister of UP, Kalyan Singh, had given oath to the Apex court, didn't honour it. Top BJP leaders had brought the 'Kar Sevaks'.

It was indeed attack on India's values, India's religious freedom, India's secular ethos, India's law-and-order, yet, Congress government and CBI remained indifferent. The criminal case wasn't pursued. The courts apparently didn't consider it a serious crime.

Those who were responsible became ministers and chief ministers and reached posts of Governors and Deputy Prime Minister. So, that's the difference, between a society governed by law and a society where law collapses or can be subverted.

If only, exemplary punishment was given to those who planned and were involved in destruction of the Babri Mosque or leaders involved in communal riots, inflammatory speeches, things won't have deteriorated in later years. 

PV Narasimha Rao: Man who presided over Babri Masjid demolition and Congress' downfall, severed Muslims' relationship with party

PV Narasimha Rao, the former prime minister of India, was the man who presided over demolition of Babri Masjid.

The blame goes to Rao for not taking any action when it was known to him that lakhs of Kar Sewaks had reached Ayodhya.

Already, he had been informed about the conspiracy to demolish the ancient mosque.

When the mosque was attacked, Narasimha Rao remained incommunicado and didn't take steps to protect the mosque.

World's biggest democracy had turned into a mobocracy. In Ayodhya--the place where there can't be any Yuddha [war], lumpens who claimed to be Ram bhakts were destroying ideals of Lord Rama.

Kalyan Singh's BJP government in Lucknow was backing the Kar Sewaks. It had blessings from Narasimha Rao, India's Prime Minister, from Delhi. For hours on December 6 1992, Ayodhya saw the brazen assault on the religious structure as well as India's secular fabric and its ethos.

1. Rao chose to remain silent. UP government had given assurance to court that there would be no harm to Babri Masjid. However, Congress government at the Centre kept its eyes close while the world watched--through BBC and other foreign channels, how the mosque was demolished in broad daylight.

2. Later, when mosque was razed and a temporary Ram Temple was built over the debris of the mosque, Rao decided to speak. On Doordarshan, he addressed the nation with a grave face, saying that mosque would be rebuilt.

3. Rao's promise to build mosque again, was another lie. Soon riots broke out across the country.

In Congress-ruled Maharashtra, the rioting was worst. However, there was no effort to control it, neither Sudhakar Rao Naik's Congress government was dismissed.

4. In two rounds of communal riots police didn't act tough against the rioters even  as nearly 1,500-2,000 persons were killed.

Mumbai was burning. The role of Shiv Sena cadre in this period is well documented. Muslims were getting killed and remember it was Congress government in Delhi that remained oblivious to the plight of the Muslims. The police officers who were involved in violence were never prosecuted.

Maharashtra state [Congress government] put obstacles at every step to ensure that victims of Mumbai massacre never got justice. Sri Krishna Commission report was thrown in dustbin and its recommendations were not implemented.

5. No wonder, Rao is seen as the architect of demolition and anti-Muslim violence. The man ensured that whatever little regard Indian Muslims had for Congress, was now a thing of past. If there was any option anywhere, Muslims would vote for that party.

READ: ROLE OF SUDHAKAR NAIK'S CONGRESS GOVERNMENT IN MUMBAI RIOTS

Muslims lost whatever trust some old-timers had in the party.

Dalits were already abandoning it with the rise of BSP. December 6, 1992 is the day Indian Muslims felt helpless across the country.

It was similar to what Sikhs had felt in Delhi in 1984 when Rajiv Gandhi was at the helm.

This is history, it can't be erased. Congress again came back to power, formed governments.

But the fact remains that it has lost its connect with Muslims. And, it is unlikely for Muslims to return to Congress sooner in future.

Indian Muslims are searching for alternatives, the search is on. 

Dalit group's campaign to press for rebuilding Babri Masjid in Ayodhya even as Muslims' hopes fade

Now, it has been 23 years, since Babri Masjid was demolished in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.

In the past, Muslim groups held demonstrations and protests on the anniversary of the mosque's demolition.

But over the years, there has been a decline in such protests. Except in a few cities like Delhi and Hyderabad, there are no major rallies.

Interestingly, while a large section of Muslims have now reconciled to the status quo and don't have any hope about reconstruction of mosque on the site, Dalit groups have been running the campaign in Uttar Pradesh (UP).

In this photo above, the graffiti on the wall says, 'Ab Dalito.n ki majburi hai, Babri masjid zaroori hai'. The organisation is Babri Masjid Nav-Nirman Sena which has district level chiefs in Uttar Pradesh.

Dr Bhai Tej Singh, who heads Ambedkar Samaj Party, has been a moving force behind the Babri Masjid Navnirman Sena, which was cretaed a few years ago.

The Sena president Dr Jagbir Singh affirmed that his organisation would continue to raise voice and participate in the struggle for building Babri Masjid, and will extend full cooperation to the Muslim brethren in this movement.

On December 6, 1992, Babri Masjid was razed in Ayodhya.

The then, PM, PV Narasimha Rao, had come on TV, and promised that the mosque would be built again at the same spot.

However, it was a lie. He lied to crores of Indians in his message to nation.

Muslims have trust in law and expected that mosque would be reconstructed, but it couldn't happen. With passing years, the hope too faded that this would ever happen.