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Sins of omissions and commissions

Jaipur, Wed, 02 Jan 2008 M Shamsur Rabb Khan

Jan 02:  Just pause and think: a commission of inquiry probing the circumstances leading to the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya for the last 15 years got its 43 rd extension, incurring an expenditure of Rs. 7.2 crore! That is Justice M S Liberhan Commission. Rare achievement to go into the Guinness Book of World Records indeed! The Centre extended its tenure by another two months, which was expired on December 31, 2007. Now the Centre asked the Commission to submit its report on or before February 29, 2008.

The one-man Liberhan Commission, one of the country's longest running inquiry commissions, was set up on December 16, 1992 by late Prime Minister Narsimha Rao, and which has so far held nearly 399 sittings and examined 101 persons, 14 defence witnesses, 53 Central government witnesses and 34 Commission witnesses.

In 15 years of its proceedings, the commission recorded statements of several politicians, bureaucrats and police officials including Kalyan Singh, late Narasimha Rao, former deputy prime minister L.K. Advani and his colleagues Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharati as well as Mulayam Singh Yadav.

The Commission was established to identify those who played a key role-played by the Chief Minister, Members of the Council of Ministers, officials of the Government of Uttar Pradesh and by the individuals, concerned organisations and agencies in the destruction of the 16th century mosque, besides unravelling why and how the demolition happened. It is also supposed to come out with names of the forces and actors responsible for it and deficiencies in security measures and other arrangements as prescribed or operated in practice by Government of Uttar Pradesh which might have contributed to the events.

Though the Commission has no punitive powers, its recommendations are of political nature, which can stir the nation if names of L K Advani or Kalyan Singh might appear as accused of instigating or acting otherwise prescribed by the law. More importantly, what actions would the Central and the UP government initiate against the government officials if they are found guilty of not providing adequate security. Or how would the BJP react if L K Advani or Kalyan Singh are indicted? Will there be another mass movement to polarize the Indian polity?

There are questions: is this a deliberate attempt to linger on and on the findings so that the people, especially the Muslims should forget it forever? Is there any need for such an inquiry commission that has no punitive powers? What purpose will it serve even if comes out with some big names except giving a new political colour? Will there be any punishment for the culprits? Are the findings not a useless exercise if no punitive actions can be taken? Is the inquiry commission not a futile effort? Above all, what would the UPA government do except a leitmotif to take political mileage?

The writing on the wall is loud and clear: those who carried out the vandalism on December 6, 1992, will have the message to go ahead with such operations in future and create a world full of destructions followed by constructions. It will revive the medieval trend of destroying the signs, symbols and buildings of one culture and religion to impose the other one. It will give berth to a trend of vengeance whereby VHP, RSS and others, like yonder days Muslims kings, would love to plan and enact such vandalism.

The Muslim masses have already given up hope of any justice on the issue. For them, all governments are indifferent to their plights and pangs though lip service is often in the air to garner votes. For them, Liberhan Commission has nothing to offer.

 

* The writer is Editor, Consumer Unity & Trust Society or CUTS, Jaipur


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