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 Weeks have passed since the echoes of Ayodhya verdict are resonating in the minds of Muslims in India. It may have been largely accepted as fait accompli but a lot of Muslims in India have also expressed disappointment over the way things have shaped up in court vis-à-vis. Babri Masjid demolition and the consequent court battle. Even those who believe in the strong secular roots of the country are now having second thoughts about its maturity.
SNM Abdi, a renowned journalist from India who witnessed the demolition of the mosque on December, 6, 1992 found the verdict ‘a slap on the face of the Indian legal system’. According to Abdi, the verdict has not just predicted the future of Muslims in India, but also challenges the secular roots of the country. “More than Muslims, the High Court verdict is a challenge to secular Hindus fighting Hindu fundamentalists. A vast majority of Hindus are secular; otherwise the BJP would not have been routed twice nationally. They obviously want an India governed by the rule of law. They, along with Muslims, expect the Supreme Court to revoke the High Court order and hand over the plot to claimants it rightfully belongs to,” he says.
The verdict has also triggered another debate among the Muslims. “Muslims in India have realized why Jinnah feared India’s democracy (i.e. lack of political and constitutional protection for minorities). He realized this would become the handmaiden of the majority Hindu community and Muslims would essentially become second-class citizens. Their religion and culture would be dependent on the level of tolerance and mercy shown by Hindus,” A. Rasheed, a Muslim from Utter Pradesh says.
The dejection has also led to questions about preparations, or the lack of it, from lawyers representing the case and the leadership which made this very sensitive case a matter of life and death. “When it was clear that this case would decide the future of the community and it is a fight against powerful and resourceful opponents, maximum skill and energy should have been put into it,” said Raheela, a Muslim from Bihar state. “Muslims in India have to organize themselves before beginning any fight for their rights. Otherwise, the same thing will happen again and again,” she says.
Raheela is also disappointed with the way the Muslim leadership has led the community. “We have come to a point where we are non-existing politically, economically and now legally. Our numbers in India is merely for the vote bank and all the responsibility goes to the leadership of Indian Muslims both at social and political levels,” she adds.
Such concerns notwithstanding, a strong voice is also emerging within the community in and outside India which maintains that Indian Muslims must come out of this Ayodhya syndrome. “Times have passed. What we have lost cannot be regained. Instead of crying over the failures of the past, we should work for a stronger future,” says Khan from Aligarh. “A Muslim does not need one particular building for his namaz. Islam is much more than a piece of land. The future of Muslims in India cannot be secure if Babri Masjid is declared theirs. We need to work hard and emerge stronger both in India and the rest of the world,” he adds.
SNM Abdi sums up the debate most aptly and succinctly. “If the truth be told, there are far too many Muslims in India for any mosque to have a bearing on their future as a community.” 
The writer is an independent media professional based in Dubai.
Amna E. Khaishgi is a media analyst who covers technology and communication trends in South Asia and the Emirates. She is based in Dubai and works as a documentary filmmaker.
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