People from all walks of life marched from Mandi House to Parliament Street in the Capital to register their anger and protest against the demolition of Babri Masjid and to demand a fair trial in the case and punishment to the guilty as soon as possible. More than 25 big and small organisations took part in the protest march. The protest was jointly organised by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Lok Raj Sangathan, Welfare Party of India, Socialist Party of India, CPI-ML, Sikh Forum, Citizens for Democracy, United Against Hate, Students Islamic Organisation of India and many others.
Speaking on the occasion, SQR Ilyas, member of Babri Masjid Action Committee, All India Personal Law Board and president Welfare Party of India, said that the attack on 6 December 1992 was not only an attack on Babri Masjid but also an attack on our Constitution, Democracy, Secularism, Idea of India and the very concept of religious freedom. There has to be justice in the case of Babri Masjid dispute and all those who are making pressure and mobilising people to build Ram Mandir forcefully should be banned and not allowed to disturb the peace and tranquillity in the country.
John Dayal, who was at another event organised nearby by social activists, civil society and Communist Party of India, when asked whether such protests have become symbolic in nature or not, said symbolism is the essence of politics, symbolism leads to movement and political mobilisation while political mobilisation leads to political movements which reflect in our elections. So symbolism should not be lost on us, should not be lost on the Muslim community, and should not be lost on the government. Dayal added, “Let me tell you what the government should understand from this that there is anger and people do not forget very easily who demolished the mosque and what does it mean as Dipankar said categorically it is an attack on the Muslim identity and it is an effort symbolically to purge the Muslim identity from India which is then the threat to the very Idea of India. Why we are here as activists, social activists, Christians, Communists, Muslims and what do we do. I see 6 December as an attack on all of us.”
Intizar Naeem, Assistant Secretary, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind; Lok Raj Sangathan president S Raghavan; Mehdi Hasan Qasmi from United Against Hate; Prakash Rao and KK Singh also spoke on the occasion.