Gandhi, Akbar, and Ayodhya
http://www.tehrantimes.com/Description.asp?Da=10/23/2006&Cat=14&Num=001
By Hamid Golpira
South Asia has many problems, but one of the most serious is the tension between Muslims and Hindus, and one of the potential flashpoints is Ayodhya.
On December 6, 1992, the sixteenth century Babri Mosque of Ayodhya was destroyed by fanatics who claimed the mosque was built on the site of a Hindu temple that had been demolished by Muslims about 500 years earlier. Afterwards, clashes between Hindus and Muslims left over one thousand dead in some of the worst communal violence India had experienced in many years.
Although a few archaeologists claim that there is some evidence that a Hindu temple was once located at the site in northern India, other experts say there is no conclusive evidence.
Whatever the case may be, a reasonable, mutually acceptable solution must be found, and this goal can only be attained by utilizing the traditions of the Indian subcontinent.
The lives of two great personalities of the subcontinent, Mahatma Gandhi and the sixteenth century Mogul emperor Akbar, offer excellent models.
Akbar was a Muslim but he was greatly respected by the Hindus for his tolerance. Akbar was not a great Islamic scholar but he got one thing right –- he was tolerant and he understood the verse of the Holy Quran (2:256) that says there should be no compulsion in religion.
He also had the insight to realize that for a diverse, multi-faith, multicultural country like India, peaceful coexistence was the only way forward.
Akbar even arranged sessions where the followers of various religions of India discussed their beliefs.
To this day, Hindus still honor him as a Muslim ruler who showed respect for Hinduism and who was not prejudiced against Hindus.
Mahatma Gandhi was also famous for his tolerance. He strove with all his heart to promote harmony among the followers of all the religions of India. In addition, he fought against racism and casteism and sought to elevate the status of the Dalits.
In 1947, at the time when India and Pakistan were partitioned and became independent, he visited areas where communal violence had broken out between Hindus and Muslims and tried to foster reconciliation.
He was truly a mahatma, which means “great soul” in Sanskrit.
Muslims honor him as a Hindu who showed respect for Islam and who was not prejudiced against Muslims.
Clearly, we can use the great examples of Gandhi and Akbar to solve the Ayodhya problem.
Perhaps the best course of action would be to build three structures in the disputed area, a mosque, which could be named the New Babri Mosque, a Hindu temple, and a center for the promotion of tolerance and understanding, which could be named the Gandhi-Akbar Center for Dialogue Among Cultures.
Ideally, the Gandhi-Akbar Center should be constructed in the middle, with the mosque 100 meters away on one side and the Hindu temple 100 meters away on the other side.
No solution can satisfy everyone but perhaps this can make almost everyone happy.
Mother India is tolerant and embraces all her children.
Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Zoroastrians, Jains, and followers of other religions have coexisted peacefully in India for centuries. Communal violence has been a rare occurrence over the years.
Indeed, the tolerance of Gandhi and Akbar is more in tune with the millennia of traditions of the subcontinent than the intolerance, elitism, chauvinism, bigotry, and casteism of the fanatics. Perhaps this is the reason why the fortunes of the parties that tacitly or openly supported the destruction of the Babri Mosque are fading at the ballot box.
Many people say the destruction of the Babri Mosque and the ensuing communal violence were the result of the actions of intolerant Hindu fundamentalists and intolerant Muslim fundamentalists.
However, Islam and Hinduism are tolerant religions.
Thus, it could be said that Gandhi and Akbar and people who are tolerant like them are the real Hindu and Muslim fundamentalists and the mosque destruction and communal violence were the work of non-fundamentalist Hindus and non-fundamentalist Muslims.
If we can solve the Ayodhya problem with this Gandhian compromise, it could become a model for solving the other problems of South Asia such as the dispute over the final status of Kashmir and the aspirations for self-determination of several ethnic groups in eastern India and the Tamils in southern India and northwestern Sri Lanka.
Gandhian solutions could also be sought for the subcontinent’s poverty and illiteracy problems.
Mother India and Mother Earth are waiting for their children to resolve their disputes.
However, most of us spend almost all of our time trying to resolve our personal problems.
Let’s expend some of our energy making efforts to solve the world’s problems. After all, it is our duty as human beings.