THE recent inauguration of a temple at the site of the historical Babri mosque truly marked the death of secular India and the birth of a Hindu Rashtra. Even if we were to accept unequivocally the presence of a temple underneath the mosque, the very act of re-establishing a temple was nothing but an act of vengeance.

Moreover, the atmosphere surrounding the inauguration of the temple was more celebratory than, say, the success of Chandrayaan-3, with the presence of the most prominent of Indian celebrities.

Truly, such an atmosphere of jubilation silenced the mourning of secular India, and a complete alienation of the world’s third-largest Muslim population was further ensured.

Besides, the core issue of establishing the temple is not of ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. It is the cycle of violence, which may never stop as it can only halt through forgiveness, tolerance and coexistence; the very elements that are missing in India.

Abdulrehman Shahid
Karachi

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2024