The special CBI court on Wednesday delivered its verdictin the three-decade-old Babri Masjid Demolition case, and the judgement is onexpected lines. No one really expected that those who brought down the mosquethat stood at the site would one day face the long arm of the law, especiallyin the current political climate of the country. This, despite it being prettyapparent to everyone on both sides of the political divide as to who isresponsible for the demolition. The only way one can reconcile today's realityis if we go with the view that the demolition wasn't even a criminal act, whichmany would have you believe it wasn't.
No doubt, an acquittal is not a certificate of innocence,and in the strictest legal sense, it only means that there wasn't enough toconvince the court that the accused were indeed guilty. But it could also meanthat the police have done a shoddy job in investigating the case, which seemsto be the prime reason for the acquittal.
Legal aspects aside, this wasn't just a criminal case oftrespass. Rather, it is an assault on the secular fabric of the country and amove to send a message to the rest of the country as to who this country reallybelongs to, and who is a second class citizen.
The verdict of allowing the construction of the Ramtemple at the spot coupled with Wednesday's acquittal has sent an unequivocalmessage to the rest of the country that the law will not be equal to all andnot everyone is equal before the law. The case has only helped strengthenfeelings of despondency in an already bleak year and what should really causealarm is that none of this surprises or even causes alarm anymore.
Years of fighting against the lynching of Muslims andDalits, the State having a different yardstick for the dominant classes ofsociety is only being reinforced today while those of the oppressed classes andwomen continue to be given the short end of the stick.
If allowed to persist, such a situation will lead to abreakdown in faith in the system that has till today helped keep societytogether and to a large extent maintained law and order because those oppressedbelieve in maintaining their end of the social contract. The day those who areoppressed realise that there is no point in keeping their side of the socialcontract, society will collapse as has happened before with rampant looting,rise in crime and civil strife.
Claims by political leaders and the reaction by theruling class that this was a divine act in the belief that there was nothingcriminal in demolishing the masjid will only take India further down the roadand even closer to the breakdown in the social contract. The worst is yet tocome.
