BABRI MASJID DEMOLITION ANNIVERSARY

BABRI MASJID

DEMOLITION ANNIVERSARY

Protests organised in connection with the Babri masjid demolition anniversary on Tuesday,6^th December,2011, passed off peacefully in the State capital. Attempts made by Darsgah Jihad-O-Shahadat (DJS), which used to take out rallies condemning razing to ground of Babri masjid on this day 19 years ago, to stage a protest demonstration failed. Led by DJS office-bearer, Majid, a handful of DJS workers burnt a government effigy in front of their party office at Moghalpura. Before the gathering could swell, police took them into preventive custody and shifted them to a near-by police station.

A little later, some DJS activists reached the office raising slogans against the government and vowing to rebuild Babri masjid. However, they too were detained and evacuated from the place. In some parts of the Old City, black flags were tied observing December 6 as Black Day. No untoward incident was reported anywhere in the city.

Muslim organisations staged demonstrations .The anniversary of the demolition of Babri Masjid Members of Manitha Neya Makkal Katchi, Towheeth Jamaath and Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam raised slogans against the demolition. “In a country such as India, if the essence of secularism had to be restored, the rulers should understand the sentiments of Muslims and order construction of the Masjid on the same site. This alone would remove the scar and also instil confidence in the minds of minority segments of the population,” they said. They raised objection to justification of the demolition by some political parties. Police said that a large number of people, including women and old people, participated in the demonstrations which were staged on Scott Road and South Gate among other places.A large posse of police was deployed and there were no untoward incidents. Security was intensified at places of worship, railway station and bus stands. The police in rural areas were also engaged in band bust duty. Surveillance was kept on railway tracks and at the airport.

                                                             Prof. John Kurakar