Historian Dr. Koenraad Elst’s perspective on Ayodhya Verdict

World famous historian Dr. Koenraad ELST delivered an thoughtful lecture on “Ayodhya Verdict: A Historian’s perspective” in Mythic Society’s Dally Memorial lecture Hall in Bangalore today December 15th.

Dr. Koenrad Elst said that Ayodhya issue was kept alive by Muslim appeasement strategy of Congress. After the verdict  On Ayodhya; than Muslims, the pseudo-secular sector has deeply worried. Issue of Ram temple-Ayodhya has grown beyond Islamic terrorism at a global platform. The politics on this issue has began in 1949 and still continues sadly. To acquire a Muslim vote bank in India, the anti-Hindu propaganda of some short sighted politicians opted for appeasement strategy

“Two questions have always been the center of the Ayodhya issue. One being the existence of lord RAMA – Which is ancient history and other being the existence of the temple in Ayodhya – Which is recent history”, says Dr. Koenraad Elst.

Court, political parties and Historians have played safely when it come to verdict by not asked to prove the belief of the people about the existence of RAMA. On the other hand it backs on the evidences that are supportive about the existence of RAMA temple.

Dr. Elst spoke about the issue taking it back to the times of Vikramaditya when the RAMA JANMA SHATAL was claimed to be located by the king. However, some secularists have an all together different argument for this. They say, Vikramaditya’s intention of claiming Ayodhya to be the Janma shathal was purely for propaganda of his kingdom and nothing more. However, we have evidences of the remains of the temple for more than 2000 years now. The scriptures found at the site speak about the deity of the temple to be an incarnation of lord Vishnu who killed a ten headed demon (Ravana). The style of these artifacts were that if 13th-14th century.

The existence of the temple is now proved. The demolished Babari Masjid was infact being built on the remnants of the already existing temples. However, it is still not known if Babar builds it by demolishing the temple? OR did he build a mosque on an already ruined temple? Mr. Elst also spoke about Babar’s Diary which speaks about a storm which might have possibly destroyed the temple. However, many pages of the same diary are missing, giving room to more confusion.

Coming to the politics behind Ayodhya, Dr. Elst said that more than BJP it was congress Prime Ministers who pushed this case of RAMA JANMA BHOOMI to become a property of Hindus. During the times of Rajiv Gandhi, an anti Islam book The Satanic Verses and Beyond by David A. Kerr was banned with an intension of favoring the Muslim society in return of the Ayodhya site. Subsequent Prime Ministers including P.V.Narasing Rao stressed on the historical evidence of the existence of the temple – which they internally knew was supportive to Hindu community. Because of this, there was a sudden change in the purpose of excavation interests of many historians and archeologists.

Answering to a question asked by one of the audience about the diminishing Hindu Culture and tradition, Dr. Elst said, there is a beautiful solution for this. He said, instead of considering Hindutva as an asset of a group of people (which BJP considers), Hindutva should be more open and separated from political motives. Instead of waging wars against each other, both the communities should try to enlighten their ignorant brothers and sisters of the other group about their beliefs and culture. He said, he sees a lot of maturity in people about the issue, which evidently is reflected by their clam and non violent reactions to the ayodhya Verdict by the court.

There were many attacks on Ayodhya from AD 1031 to 1992. In 1192 Ayodhya witnessed its first attack by Muslims. In 1526 the temple was completely destroyed, using its remainings the foundations for a mosque was laid, Dr. Elst said.

Dr. Koenrad Elst opiniopned that Lord Buddha was never  a rebel against the Hinduism,  even Sikh religion founder Gurunanak says, he is Direct dissident of Rama.  The pseudo-secularists says, “the site which was called as Rama’s Birth place is not original one, but Vikramaditya picks any land in his territory and announces it is the Birthplace and Builds a temple there. After Vikramaditya, the ayodhya was the centre of learning of Buddhists and was a one of intellectual capital of India. Hindus are not the losers, they don’t  problem of Unity, always.   One of leading Journalist Vir Sanghvi writes article against Hindus about Ayodhya verdict, His integrity and his reliability itself is doubtable now a days.  As far as the Lord Ramas birth place issue is concerned, both sides have agreed that the Babri Masjid was built around  1528 on a remaining of a temple. The archaeologist experts  have accepted that the Mosque was not in the style of Mughal. In the Muslim documents itself, the name of masjid is written as Masjid-e-Janmasthan. There are many Muslims who accepts the place is Birthplace of Ram, says Dr. Koenrad Elst. The Programme was organized by Mythic Society part of its Lecture Series of the month. The programme was attended by a select audience, presided by Dr. MKLN Shasthry, senior Educationist also President of Mythic Society.Senior Scientist Dr.Navarathna S Rajaram was the chief guest.

about Dr. Koenraad ELST:

Dr. Koenraad ELST was born in Leuven, Belgium, on 7 August 1959, into a Flemish (i.e., Dutch-speaking Belgian) Catholic family. He graduated in Philosophy, Chinese Studies and Indo-Iranian Studies at the Catholic University of Leuven. During a stay at the Benares Hindu University, he discovered India’s communal problem and wrote his first book about the budding Ayodhya conflict. While establishing himself as a columnist for a number of Belgian and Indian papers, he frequently returned to India to Study the various aspects of its ethno-religio-political configuration and interview Hindu and other leaders and thinkers. His research on the ideological development of Hindu revivalism earned him his ph.D in Leuvenin 1998. He has also published about multiculturalism, language policy issues, ancient Chinese history and Philosophy comparative religion and the Aryan invasion debate.

ತನ್ನ ನೆಲದಲ್ಲೇ ಹಿಂದೂಗಳು ಅಸ್ತಿತ್ವಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಹೋರಾಟ ನಡೆಸಬೇಕಾಗಿಬಂದಿರುವುದು ದುರಂತ: ಡಾ.ಕೋನ್ರಾಡ್ ಎಲ್ಸಾ

ಅಯೋಧ್ಯೆ ರಾಮಜನ್ಮ ಭೂಮಿ ವಿವಾದಕ್ಕೆ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ಸಿಗರು ನೀರೆರೆದು ಪೋಷಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಎಂದು ಬೆಲ್ಜಿಯಂನ ಲೇಖಕ ಡಾ.ಕೋನ್ರಾಡ್ ಎಲ್ಸಾ ಆಪಾದಿಸಿದರು. ಮಿಥಿಕ್ ಸೊಸೈಟಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬುಧವಾರ ಏರ್ಪಡಿಸಿದ್ದ ಇತಿಹಾಸಕಾರನ ದೃಷ್ಟಿಕೋನದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಯೋಧ್ಯೆ ತೀರ್ಪು ವಿಷಯ ಕುರಿತು ಅವರು ಉಪನ್ಯಾಸ ಮಾಡಿದರು. ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್‌ನ ಮುಸ್ಲಿಂ ತುಷ್ಟೀಕರಣ ನೀತಿಯಿಂದಾಗಿ ಅಯೋಧ್ಯೆ ವಿಷಯ ವಿವಾದವಾಗಿ ಮಾರ್ಪಟ್ಟಿತು ಎಂದರು. ಬಾಬು ರಾಜೇಂದ್ರ ಪ್ರಸಾದ್, ಪಂಡಿತ್ ನೆಹರು ಕಾಲದಿಂದ ಆರಂಭವಾದ ಈ ತುಷ್ಟೀಕರಣಕ್ಕೆ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್‌ನ ಎಲ್ಲ ಪ್ರಧಾನಿಗಳೂ ನೀರೆರೆದಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ತನ್ನ ನೆಲದಲ್ಲೇ ಹಿಂದೂಗಳು ಅಸ್ತಿತ್ವಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಹೋರಾಟ ನಡೆಸಬೇಕಾಗಿಬಂದಿರುವುದು ದುರಂತ ಎಂದ ಅವರು, ಅಲಹಾಬಾದ್ ಹೈಕೋರ್ಟ್‌ನ ನ್ಯಾಯಪೀಠ ಇತ್ತೀಚೆಗೆ ತೀರ್ಪು ನೀಡಿ ದಶಕಗಳ ಹೋರಾಟಕ್ಕೆ ತೆರೆ ಎಳೆದಿದೆ. ಅಯೋಧ್ಯೆ ಹಿಂದೂಗಳ ಶ್ರದಾಟಛಿ ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಎಂದು ನ್ಯಾಯಾಲಯವೇ ಒಪ್ಪಿಕೊಂಡಿದೆ. ಆದರೂ ನ್ಯಾಯಾಲಯದ ಈ ತೀರ್ಪಿನಿಂದ ಮುಸ್ಲಿಮರಿಗಿಂತ ಹೆಚ್ಚಾಗಿ ಸೋಗಲಾಡಿ ಜಾತ್ಯತೀತವಾದಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಅಸಮಾಧಾನವಾದಂತಿದೆ ಎಂದು ಕೋನ್ರಾಡ್ ಲೇವಡಿ ಮಾಡಿದರು. ಅಯೋಧ್ಯೆ ವಿವಾದಕ್ಕೆ ಸರ್ವ ಸಮ್ಮತವಲ್ಲದಿದ್ದರೂ ತಾರ್ತಿಕ ಅಂತ್ಯ ನೀಡಿದ ಅಲಹಾಬಾದ್ ಹೈಕೋರ್ಟ್ ತೀರ್ಪನ್ನು ಒಪ್ಪದೆ ಸುನ್ನಿ ವಕ್ಭ್ ಬೋರ್ಡ್ ಸುಪ್ರೀಂಕೋರ್ಟ್ ಮೆಟ್ಟಿಲೇರಿರುವುದು ಸರಿಯಲ್ಲ ಎಂದರು.

ಅಯೋಧ್ಯೆಯಲ್ಲೇ ಶ್ರೀ ರಾಮ ಜನಿಸಿದ್ದ ಎಂಬುದಕ್ಕೆ ಧಾರ್ಮಿಕ ಮತ್ತು ಪೌರಾಣಿಕ ಹಿನ್ನೆಲೆ ಇದೆ. ಜನರ ಧಾರ್ಮಿಕ ನಂಬಿಕೆಯನ್ನು ಗೌರವಿಸುವುದು ಈ ಮಣ್ಣಿನ ಗುಣ ಎಂಬುದನ್ನು ಸೋಗಲಾಡಿ ಜಾತ್ಯತೀತವಾದಿಗಳೂ ಸೇರಿದಂತೆ ವಿರೋಧಿಗಳೆಲ್ಲರೂ ಅರ್ಥ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕಿದೆ ಎಂದು ಅವರು ಹೇಳಿದರು. ಮುಸ್ಲಿಂ ಭಯೋತ್ಪಾದನೆಯನ್ನೂ ಮೀರಿ ಅಯೋಧ್ಯೆ ವಿವಾದ ಅಂತಾರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಮಟ್ಟಕ್ಕೆ ಬೆಳೆದು ನಿಂತಿದೆ. ೧೯೪೯ರಲ್ಲಿ ಆರಂಭವಾದ ರಾಜಕೀಯ ವಿವಾದ ಇಂದಿಗೂ ಅಂತ್ಯ ಕಂಡಿಲ್ಲ. ಹಿಂದೂ ಸಂಘಟನೆಯಿಂದಾಗಿ ಬಿಜೆಪಿ ಪ್ರಬಲಗೊಂಡದ್ದನ್ನು ಕಂಡ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಸೇರಿದಂತೆ ಇನ್ನಿತರೆ ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಪಕ್ಷಗಳು ತಮ್ಮ ಮತಬ್ಯಾಂಕ್ ಗಟ್ಟಿ ಗೊಳಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಹಿಂದೂ ವಿರೋಧಿ ನೀತಿಯ ಜತೆಗೆ ಮುಸ್ಲಿಂ ತುಷ್ಟೀಕರಣಕ್ಕೆ ಕೈಹಾಕಿವೆ ಎಂದರು.

ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಪಕ್ಷಗಳ ಈ ತುಷ್ಟೀಕರಣ ನೀತಿಯಿಂದಾಗಿ ಮುಸ್ಲಿಂ ಭಯೋತ್ಪಾದನೆ ಹೆಚ್ಚಿ, ೧೯೯೩ರ ಮುಂಬೈ ಬಾಂಬ್ ಸ್ಫೋಟದಿಂದ ಇಲ್ಲಿವರೆಗೆ ದೇಶದ ಸಾರ್ವಜನಿಕ ಸ್ಥಳಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನೂರಾರು ಭಯೋತ್ಪಾದಕ ದಾಳಿ ನಡೆದು ಸಹಸ್ರಾರು ಅಮಾಯಕರ ಮಾರಣ ಹೋಮ ನಡೆದಿದೆ ಎಂದು ಆತಂಕ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಪಡಿಸಿದರು. ೧೦೩೧ರಿಂದ ೧೯೯೨ರವರೆಗೆ ಅಯೋಧ್ಯೆ ಮೇಲೆ ಸಾಕಷ್ಟು ದಾಳಿ ನಡೆದಿದೆ. ೧೧೯೨ರಲ್ಲಿ ಅಯೋಧ್ಯೆ ಮೇಲೆ ಮೊದಲ ಬಾರಿಗೆ ಮುಸ್ಲಿಮರಿಂದ ದಾಳಿ ನಡೆಯಿತು ಎಂದು ಪ್ರತಿಪಾದಿಸಿದ ಅವರು, ೧೫೨೬ರಲ್ಲಿ ನೆಲಸಮಗೊಳಿಸಿದ ಹಿಂದೂ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನದ ಅವಶೇಷಗಳನ್ನೇ ಬಳಸಿ ಬಾಬ್ರಿ ಮಸೀದಿ ನಿರ್ಮಿಸಲಾಯಿತು ಎಂದರು. ರಾಜೀವ್‌ಗಾಂಧಿ ಪ್ರಧಾನಿಯಾಗಿದ್ದ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಯೋಧ್ಯೆ ವಿವಾದ ತಾರಕಕ್ಕೇರಿ ಪಿ.ವಿ.ನರಸಿಂಹರಾವ್ ಅವಧಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕರಸೇವೆ ಮೂಲಕ ವಿವಾದಿತ ಕಟ್ಟಡ ಹೊಡೆದುರುಳಿಸುವ ಮೂಲಕ ವಿವಾದ ಅಂತ್ಯಗೊಂಡಿದ್ದರೂ ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಕೆಸರೆರೆಚಾಟ ನಿಂತಿಲ್ಲ ಎಂದು ವಿಷಾದಿಸಿದರು. ಮಿಥಿಕ್ ಸೊಸೈಟಿ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷ ಡಾ.ಎಂ.ಕೆ.ಎನ್.ಎಲ್.ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಿ, ಲೇಖಕ ಡಾ.ನವರತ್ನ ಎಸ್.ರಾಜಾರಾಂ, ವಿ.ನಾಗರಾಜ್ ಸೇರಿದಂತೆ ಆರೆಸ್ಸೆಸ್‌ನ ಹಲವು ಪ್ರಮುಖರು ಉಪಸ್ಥಿತರಿದ್ದರು.