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MY Name Is Lal Das. I Y name is Lal Das. I was Interview appointed by the court as Mthe chief priest of Ramjanmabhoomi temple in 1983 and “I Wonder How I am Still Alive” continued in that position until March 1,1992. Before that I used to oversee Baba Lal Das interviewed by Madhu Kishwar the work of the Ramjanmabhoomi Seva Samiti. I was attending to the a few months before his murder court case [relating to the disputed site] from 1969 to 1983, before being appointed the chief priest. On paper I am still the chief priest. This appointment was made by the Government Receiver. Earlier, a magistrate or a judge used to be the Receiver. In 1992 the BJPgovernment removed me and appointed their own supporter as the priest there. Why did they do such a thing? Why did they feel that you would not work in their interest? The question of working in anyone’s interests did not arise. 1 was not under them. I was appointed by the court and the courts appoint an impartial person. Whatever they wanted from me and whatever expectations they had that I would work for them were not possible. What expectations did they have from you? How did they want you to work in their favour? They had two expectations, one Baba Lal Das that I should issue statements to the months, we would get about Rs 10,000 that we should tell all the visitors that press in their favour and second, that to Rs 12,000. On an average we the VHP owned the mandir because 1 should tell everyone that all income received about Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000 they had already announced all over the Ramjanmabhoomi pujari receives a year. This was used for our India that they had rights over the belongs to the VHP. expenses. mandir. How much was received annually Did they want whatever money Since when did the VHP start as offerings? that came to go to them? coming to Ayodhya? Initially it was not much. After the No, they were interested in From 1984 on wards. locks were opened, the amount of propaganda. What they wanted was Before that there was no offerings increased to between Rs 5 interference from them in Ayodhya? to Rs 10 lakhs a year. What they wanted was All the rioting and violence How much was received before that we should tell all the started in 1984. Before that there was the locks were opened? no dispute or trouble. There was a Before that, whatever used to visitors that the VHP owned small dispute in 1949 and both sides come used to be at the chabutara of the mandir because they had went to court to argue out their case. the akhara. People did not go inside already announced all over There was no fighting or slogan the mandir. When we opened the India that they had rights shouting on the roads, neither was donation boxes after five or six over the mandir. there any violence. 10 MANUSHI What happened in 1984 to cause on the streets to fight. But they did Congress. Right throughout till the them to suddenly remember this raise moral objections. demolition, the Congress has fully place? How did they do it? There have supported the BJP. Today also the BJP It all started at Sitamarhi in Bihar. not been many statements from them. has the full support of the Congress. There they took out a rath yatra to There are nearly 8,500 big and They have an internal arrangement— generate propaganda to get the locks small mandirs in Ayodhya. The press whatever the BJP does the Congress on the Ramjanmabhoomi opened. people come and meet a few people, supports. But to show the public that They got popular support and also a generally those who are in the they do not support the BJ P they lot of money. They got to realise that limelight. The Sadhu Samaj gave us make a big drama like the Ramlila. In they could make a lot of money out of moral support and protested against the Ramlila you bring Meghnad, this and also get publicity. So, with the VHP action, so did many members Ravan and Sita on the stage to show more money flowing in their of the public and political parties. the public a good drama. But behind programmes also went on increasing. Which politicalparties supported the curtain the actors are neither How did they remove you? you? Ravan nor Sita. Just in that manner, I was forcibly removed. It’s like We received support from the S all this drama is meant for public having some dacoits enter your home JP, Janta Dal, Janta(S) and the consumption. Behind the scenes both and take away everything. Bahujan Samaj Party. Only the BJP and Congress are one and the What about the police? Congress and the BJP were silent. same. What about them? The police was How come the Congress party did Supposing you were asked to on their side and the state government not support you even though you resolve the dispute in your personal was theirs. were appointed by their government? capacity, what steps would you have Did the other mahants of The Congress and the BJP have taken to settle the dispute? Ayodhya not protest about this? similar policies. What one does is Since the Muslims have never What can the mahants do? Those supported by the other. All the fought over it, the problem resolves who are on our side cannot come out troubles have been created by the itself. The Muslims had not used the Baba Lal Das praying in the Ram Janamsthan Mandir No.79 (November-December 1993) 11 Babri Masjid since 1949. The Muslims was not constructed. Their slogans foundation stone there would be more of Faizabad did not even know where changed from that point onwards. violence. Then construction would be Babri Masjid was situated, leave They held processions all over India halted. After construction was halted, alone the Muslims from the rest of announcing that they would continue the Hindus would get angry and join India. Theolder generation of their fight as long as the mandir was their side in the dispute. Faizabad may have known where the not constructed. They also used a They started construction work Babri Masjid was but the younger slogan: “This is just for starters — after they laid the foundation stone. generations did not know anything Mathura and Kashi are yet to come.” Vir Bahadur Singh stopped the about it. The Sangh parivar started (Abhi to yeh jhanki hai, Mathura construction work. Then the VHP propaganda to take revenge on the Kashi baki hai.) After this they announced that they had been descendants of Babar and to send started taking out processions in the prevented from building a mandir. them to Pakistan. Their propaganda Muslim dominated areas and started After that Rajiv Gandhi was killed. brought attention to the fact that Babri abusing them. The Muslims, who Then the elections were held. The Masjid existed in Ayodhya. It is they were in mourning, became upset at Congress formed the government at who united all the Muslims in India. these attacks. From February 7, 1986 the Centre and the BJP in Uttar When they brought the Muslims riots started. Pradesh. That the Congress and BJP together, the Muslims gave the One result of these riots was that have a common programme was not expected reaction that it was a royal many Hindus were attacked in known to the common man. The masjid and that it should not be Kashmir. The state government was Indian public could not see through touched while there was a case going dismissed in Kashmir as a result of the BJP-Congress deceptions as they on in the courts over it. The Muslims the riots. Elections have not been would alternately blow hot and cold. did not come out in the streets to fight held in Kashmir ever since then. Even The lock was not put on because over it till they were attacked openly. now there is governor’s rule in of anyone’s order. The lock was put On February 1,1986 the district Kashmir. on in 1971. It was not locked in 1949. court ordered the locks opened. The When the riots broke out on The legal aspect of this situation was BJP-VHP rathyatra processions had February 7 and continued till that the place was in charge of a to be cancelled. They were silent till February 20-22, the rath yatras were “Receiver.” The food was cooked in February 7, wondering what to do, as stopped by the then chief minister Vir the kitchen of the Ram Chabutra. The their source of income had dried up. Bahadur Singh. It was a Congress sentry would open the lock for the They used to collect a lot of money government then. When the locks bhog (food offering to deities). through the rath yatra; the villagers were opened on the orders of the In 1971, Priya Dutt Ram, who was used to pay for getting the mandir central government, Vir Bahadur the Receiver, expired. There was a opened. Now that the mandir was stopped the processions. Otherwise dispute between the new Receiver unlocked, what should they do? there would have been more and the Nirmohi Akhara. The police Did the Muslims not create any violence. After the locks had been intervened, put their own lock on, and trouble in all this time? opened, the VHP started a campaign kept the key.
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