DR. S. AUSAF SAIED VASFI comments on the Justice M.S. Liberhan Commission Report and conclude that only the much-needed political will, administrative determination and ideological clarity on the part of the Congress can bring the culprits to the book.
How rather can the demolishers of the Babri Masjid be brought to justice? This is the question on the lips of each and every Indian Muslim since June 30 when the one-man Justice Manmohan Singh Liberhan Commission of Inquiry submitted its 4-volume report to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi.
The panel got 48 extensions. The Central Government spent Rs. 8.15 crore on the longest-ever Commission to unearth the truth behind the most traumatic, divisive and bloody event of independent India.
THE QUESTION
So, has now the truth been unravelled? The answer lies in the “why” and “what” of the inquiry commissions and the political will rather guts to prosecute the breakers of law. In our country, more often than not, the commissions of inquiry are set up not to find out the truth or fix responsibility. They are set up to deflect public attention from the crisis on hand, dilute the tension, assuage the frayed tempers and cool the heat.
Barring the victims, who, again more often than not, happen to be Muslims, no political party, even the ruling party, no investigating agency like the CBI, shows urgency or anxiety to push the matters towards their logical conclusion. It is deliberate, not accidental. This happens, it is alleged, at the highest levels.
An example: several men-in-uniform were indicted in the Muslim massacre of Hashimpura and Malliana in 1987. Now it is 22nd year to the tragedy but no court verdict is in sight to give some semblance of relief to the next-to-the-kin of the victims. Mr Liberhan took only 17 years, particularly because of absence of co-operation of the bigwigs, involved in the mayhem.
SRIKRISHNA REPORT
Long ago, Mr. Justice B.N. Srikrishna submitted his report on the Mumbai riots of December 1992-January 1993. Till date, no meaningful punishment has been awarded to the real architects of Muslim killings. To the surprise of all, two more Commissions were set up, perhaps with a view to watering down the effects of the Srikrishna Commission Report. The unofficial alibi of not taking action that came to public notice was: it is an old happening. Why again vitiate the atmosphere?
There were more than 40 reports of the Commissions of Inquiry that went into various communal conflagrations since 1947. But hardly any of their recommendations were implemented. Some were not even made public.
THE NADIR
The Nadir was touched when the recommendations of the Justice J.S. Verma Commission, which looked into the lapses leading to the assassination of then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, were blissfully ignored by the Congress Party and the Congress-led government.
Reason? The panel had suggested disciplinary action against the Congress functionaries, responsible for the Prime Minister’s programme at Sriperumbudur. The other commissions of inquiry, including the Justice Jagmohan Reddy Inquiry Commission that went into the Ahmedabad riots in 1969, the Justice Venugopal Commission that probed the Kanayakumari riots in 1982, the Justice Srikrishna Commission, as stated above, that probed the Mumbai communal riots in 1992-93 and the Justice Nanavati Commission that looked into the anti-Sikh riots in 1984, also saw their reports being eaten by moths in the archives.
RECOMMENDATORY
As the matters stand, the Commission’s findings are recommendatory. So is the case with the Liberhan Commission report, which is not going to be tabled in Parliament in its current session. Why? The Congress is not in a hurry simply because in its order of priorities, balm on the wounds of Muslims does not occupy the priority position. Its own agenda occupies the privileged place.
Then, assert the experts, there is an in-built lacuna in the Indian judicial system. It is incapable of assigning criminal liability.
However, as the entire, planned destruction of the Babri Masjid is of, for and by the BJP and its camp-followers, the sharks will have to accept the political liability of what they have valiantly done. It means they will carry a taint, a stigma and a blot on their forehead. This dubious distinction may put a stop to the belligerents’ “ideological reinvention”.
But the question with which the beleaguered Muslims are primarily concerned is: Will the guilty be prosecuted and punished in the same manner as all criminals are prosecuted and punished the world over?
TRACK RECORD
The Congress track record in this regard is dismal and does not encourage optimism. Till now, the Congress-led UPA government has not shown the slightest sign of pro-activeness on the question. On the contrary, there is a between-the-lines suggestion to all the concerned to sacrifice their standpoints, even if they are justified. To quote the Congress spokesman, Mr Manish Tiwari:
“The global economic meltdown has never affected the entire world in the last 64 years like the current crisis, this and many important issues require a serious discussion in parliament, this is the requirement of our time,” said Mr Tiwari.
“Politics is an integral part of our country, but in history there comes a time when politics has to be sacrificed for the sake of national interest: we have an opportunity in the next five years to help India emerge as a global power, we would appeal to all parties to rise above political lines and help for a consensus on national issues,” he said.
In this depressing backdrop, the Muslims hope and pray for the much-needed political will, administrative determination and ideological clarity on the part of the Congress, so that it may give appropriate response to the BJP, which has, after the Liberhan Commission strictures, the cheek and temerity to dare the Congress to rebuild Babri Masjid, after whose destruction, the then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao had publicly committed to rebuild it at its original place.