Ayodhya Verdict: Will You Follow To Kill Or Lead To Build?

By Sadhogopal Ram:

किस काम के मंदिर मस्जिद, किस काम के हैं गुरूद्वारे,

इस देश के बे-घर बच्चे, जब फिरते हैं मारे-मारे,

I have no idea who was that wise man (woman?) who penned these pleading lines, but they sure are the apt representation of our nation, where millions of kids today are either forced, dumped or born to live a homeless life.

People are dying of hunger here, and all we want to do is to build mosques and temples, and for what reason?

Not to offer prayer, not to read namaaz, but to prove some stupid claim over some stupid land, for which thousands of people have lost their lives and probably millions are on the verge of losing it, again.

Come September 28, 2010, at 10:30 am, the apex court will (supposedly) hear the (final) verdict on half a century old Ayodhya land dispute.

At the time, when we are supposedly supposed to have been completely evolved as human beings, and accept each other as we are, spread not only the message but also peace to people of other religions and nationalities and build a system where no one dies of hunger, and for that matter sleep on streets, what we are doing is fighting over religions and an individual’s personally derived (twisted) meaning of “peace.”

We, instead of building stone structures which we can call as “homes” and put the ones who are in desperate need of it, are fighting to build those stone structures which we fondly address as mosques and temples and place stone-carved statues and tombs in it.

What a mighty sad time for the entire human race, that has become disgustingly repulsive at its want to have what it wants at any cost, even if the cost is its own destruction.

But all is not lost in this want for another ‘excuse’ to kill each other. On the one hand where a section of this society of ours is desperately waiting to bring out their knives and swords and start wielding it on fellow human beings, another section of this same society of ours is trying to keep the ‘bond’ between humans intact.

“Around 15 Muslim families in the Asharfi Bhawan area of Ayodhya, some 150 km from Lucknow, have been involved in making floral garlands and decorative offerings for Hindu devotees for the last several decades.

Asked what they think about the much-awaited verdict in the long-pending title suit Friday, Muslim artisans said irrespective of the outcome of the judgement they would continue with their business to help Hindus.

“We just pray for peace and believe the judgement will not affect Hindu-Muslim brotherhood and unity,” Sartaj added.

Like you (who is reading this) I too, don’t know what the judgement will be, but whatever it may be, one thing is for sure. There’s going to be lots of smoke in the air. Now it is not inevitable, it can be stopped, but the question is WHO? WHEN?

You? Me?

Of course, WE, no one else, but WE!

Now it is up to us whether we get influenced and spread venom or inspire and transform lives, whether we become followers and tarnish the bond or lead and make it stronger, whether we become the swords and kill our brothers and sisters or pillars of support for those who are in desperate need of us.

So it’s very important that we choose, but what’s more important is that we choose wisely.

Thank you for your time, and (hopefully) for your understanding.

The writer is a Special Correspondent of Youth Ki Awaaz.

Image courtesy: http://jyotibabu.blogspot.com/2009/07/on-demolition-of-babri-masjid.html