Bak Bak Bilal: Here’s What Mumbaikars Think of the Ayodhya Dispute
How much do people know about the Ayodhya dispute?
What happened on 6 December, 1992?
When it comes to the Ayodhya dispute, people seem to have formed opinions more out of hearsay than actual facts. They are eager to speak on matters they actually have no clue about. Why do I say this? Well, I walked the streets of Mumbai and asked people some basic questions:
1.What do you know about the Liberhan commission?
The Liberhan Commission or the Liberhan Ayodhya Commission of Inquiry, was a long running inquiry commissioned by the Government of India to investigate the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992. High Court Judge M. S. Liberhan led the commission, which was formed on 16 December 1992.
2. Who was Kalyan Singh?
Kalyan Singh was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh at the time of the demolition and is the current Governor of Rajasthan. Talking to reporters in Etah, Kalyan Singh once said that he owns full responsibility for the demolition of the 16th-century mosque in Ayodhya on 6 December 1992.
3. What was the Ram Rath Yatra?
Ram Rath Yatra was started by LK Advani, then President of the Bharatiya Janata Party, to support the construction of a ‘Ram Mandir’. The Yatra involved thousands of kar sevaks, or volunteers, from the Sangh Parivar. It became one of the biggest mass movements in India.
Didn’t know all of that? You’re not the only one. I questioned quite a few Mumbaikars on the topic and got some rather interesting answers. While the responses do manage to tickle your funny bones, it is also important to question our own thought process. Is not informed opinion the basis to coming to a conclusion to the big debate?
Watch the video for more.
Cameraperson: Sanjoy Deb
Editor: Veeru Krishan Mohan
Producer: Bilal Jaleel
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