HVK Archives: Ayodhya tops world archaeology agenda
Ayodhya tops world archaeology agenda - The Asian Age
Posted By Krishnakant Udavant (kkant@bom2.vsnl.net.in)
May 3, 1998
Title: Ayodhya tops world archaeology agenda
Author:
Publication: The Asian Age
Date: May 3, 1998
Hindutva sympathisers are set to dominate proceedings of the
World Archaeology Congress in Croatia, beginning on Sunday, which
is to discuss among its topics the demolition of Babri Masjid,
its historical perspective and archaeological evidence.
The WAC inter-congress is being held on the island of Brac,
Croatia from May 3 to 7.
At least seven of the 12 historians who are to address a
discussion on "A closer look at Ayodhya" are known sympathisers
of the RSS argument that a temple was destroyed to build the
Babri Masjid in the early 16th century.
According to the printed details of the programme, among the 12
listed, two historians - Prof. R.S. Sharma and Prof. D. Mandal
- known for their scientific refutal of the RSS argument are not
attending the meet due to a shortage of funds. The only non-
Indian to address the session Ayodhya, Mr Willy Kitchen, will not
comment directly on the controversy.
The discussion on India's most controversial historical dispute
is one of the six sessions of the inter-congress to discuss
"Destruction and conservation of cultural property."
Experts say that a large contingent of pro-RSS delegates,
including scholars B.B. Lal, S.P. Gupta, Sudha Malayya, B.R.
Grover and Makhan Lal, is expected to attend the meet. "There
could be more people attending the meet, who are not listed in
the programme sheet," they add. The Archaeological Survey of
India, which has been maintaining a disturbing silence over the
Babri Masjid issue, is reportedly not sending an official
delegation to clarify its position.
"I think the ASI should be sending delegations for such meets. If
it is not sending (one), it is unfortunate; if it is, then it is
worth finding out who all are being sent," says Prof. K.M.
Shrimali, a senior Delhi University history professor who will be
presenting a paper negating the Hindutva theory.
However, the organisers of the WAC have listed Prof. Shrimali's
paper titled, "Ayodhya archaeology: from imbroglio to
resolution," in Session 1 of the meet, which will discuss "The
interpretation of archaeological evidence in an academic
context," while the Ayodhya issue itself is being discussed in
Session 6. It was based on the "archaeological evidence"
available to support the premise that a temple was destroyed and
that the RSS and its frontal organisations kicked off the
political campaign in the 80s which culminated in the destruction
of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.
The present inter-congress of the WAC is the first meet of the
international body to debate the destruction of the historical
monument, after the WAC III held in New Delhi in 1994 witnessed
pandemonium over the issue and was refused permission to talk
about Ayodhya. The 1994 meet, said to be the largest gathering of
Third World historians and archaeologists in Delhi, witnessed
several unruly scenes. The Wac office-bearers were allegedly
misled on reaching the capital by rumours that any discussion on
the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid controversy would create serious
law and order problems. A general body meeting of Wac III was
disrupted when historian R.S. Sharma moved a resolution
condemning the Babri demolition. The meeting was adjourned by
chairman Prof. B.B. Lal, without allowing the resolution to he
passed. Prof. Lal, after years of excavations at the disputed
area, was the first senior historian in the late 80s to lend
credence to the RSS claim that a temple was demolished by Babar
to build the mosque. What is of concern to historians and
archaeologists across the country, who have argued there was no
temple where the destroyed mosque stood, is the possibility of
the Hindutva brigade dominating and distorting the international
view on the Babri mosque. "If they, by their sheer number, manage
to pass a resolution or even impress upon the august assembly
that their view is right, then (a part of) Indian history could
become a casualty for ages to come," says a senior historian.
Indian historians have been divided for long over the issue. The
Historians Forum, a front organisation of the RSS,' published a
booklet called Ramajanma Bhumi: Ayodhya, New Archaeological
Discoveries, which claims that remains of a destroyed temple were
discovered during excavations. The scientific arguments and the
recent developments seem to favour the group which holds that no
temple was destroyed in Ayodhya by Babar. A Historians' Report
to the Nation, brought out by experts R.S. Sharma, M. Athar Ali,
D.N. Jha and Suraj Bhan is seen to be a comprehensive reply to
the arguments of the Hindutva sympathisers. Prof. Lal's claim was
also challenged scientifically by a group led by Prof. Sharma in
the early 90s, to prove that no temple was destroyed.
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