The demolition of Babri Masjid could have been prevented if Narasimha Rao had imposed President's rule in UP and banned the congregation of Hindutva volunteers at Ayodhya. It might have caused some violence, but much of the violence would have been directed against the Government of India and the security forces. There would have been no serious Hindu-Muslim clashes. No feelings of hurt in the hearts of the members of the Muslim community. But he did not do so. Why did he fail to intervene?
There was much speculation among the bureaucrats, but no clear-cut answers. Some described him as a Hindutva sympathiser behind a secular facade. Others said he trusted Advani's assurances that there would be no damage to the Masjid. Some even saw his Chanakyan acumen in action. According to them, his perceived inaction was tactical and had a strategic objective, namely, to deprive the BJP of an exploitable electoral issue in future. They believed that he did anticipate serious Hindu-Muslim clashes, but once that was brought under control, the BJP would no longer be able to whip up the emotions of the Hindus by exploiting the Babri Masjid issue.
Whatever be the answer, there was widespread unease in senior bureaucratic circles over his failure to prevent the demolition. There was no doubt it was a political failure and not merely a bureaucratic or administrative failure. Sensing this unease, Rao invited to his house all officers of the rank of Additional Secretary and above in the Government of India in order to address them on the state of the nation in the wake of the demolition. It was a remarkable initiative, the like of which no other Prime Minister had ever undertaken. He delivered a somewhat confusing and rambling speech. It didn't make sense to many of us.
As I left the meeting, I could not help nursing a feeling that in his own highly elliptical manner, he was trying to convey a message to the bureaucrats that the demolition was in the karma of the nation and that there was no need to feel disturbed over the Government's perceived inaction.
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Image: Babri Masjid
Photograph: Ashok Vahie
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