If I were to trace militancy among the Muslims, I would find the demolition of Babri Masjid as the beginning. The community feels insecure, particularly at the prospect of Modi becoming the prime minister. All I can say is that India has been a multi-religious society for centuries and we have learnt to live that way. If Modi tries to undo the reality, he will find defiance all over. He may even jeopardise the countrys integrity. I wish the BJPs election manifesto had mentioned secularism once. The new converts to the BJP argue that when the party swears by the Constitution, it expresses its faith in secularism without spelling it out. I wish it were so because when the Babri Masjid was demolished it was done despite the Constitution.

The Babri Masjids destruction is a watershed in our countrys ethos of pluralism. The Muslim community began to tilt on the side of extremists since. Its faith in secular society was shaken and it went even to the extent of not protesting against the terrorists.

I can understand and even appreciate the arguments of those who claim that it was the Ram janmabhoomi and not the Babri Masjid. But when lakhs of Ram sewaks gather there and even beat up a few Gandhiites who objected to violence, the dictum sought to be proved is that the majority community would have its way through peace, if possible, or by force, if necessary.

Twenty-two years have gone by since the demolition. I had reminded Rao of his assurance on several occasions when he was still in power. But no action has been taken despite my repeated writings. The small temple stands there even today and the talk to accommodate the Muslims by building a mosque next to the mandir is not heard anymore.

The demolition was followed by communal riots, particularly in Mumbai. Rao invited some senior journalists to seek the medias help to normalise the situation. I was one of the invitees. I asked Rao how a small temple had come to be built overnight when the centre had taken over the administration after dismissing the state government ruled by the BJP. He answered that the temple would not be there for long.

What socialist leader Madhu Limaye had told left me with no room for any doubt about Raos involvement. Limaye said that when the demolition began, Rao sat for puja. There were frantic calls from his colleagues who made an effort to reach out to him and ask him to take action against those who were engaged in destroying the mosque but he had instructed that he should not be disturbed. When the destruction was complete, Raos aide whispered into his ears that the process was complete. Rao finished his puja.

I knew all along that Narasimha Rao, the then Congress Prime Minister, had blessed the destruction. He had the Army deployed in the vicinity and was bound to use it when the Supreme Court had said the status quo should be maintained, that is, to protect the Babri Masjid. Not a single soldier was moved to defend the mosque, nor was there ever a proposal to surround the structure with tanks to ward off any attack.

The Justice Liberahan report is an indictment of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has taken 22 years to complete the probe as it claims to have done. More than that it is an indictment of public figures that were part of the conspiracy but parade themselves as apostles of virtues. Other BJP leaders, some of whom I see on television channels, do not minimise the sin by arguing that no sting operation has been carried out in the case of corruption deals by the Congress. This can be done even belatedly. But the Sangh Parivar cannot be absolved of its nefarious activities.

What has pained me is the fact that both Atal Behari Vajpayee and Advani knew about the proposed demolition  the plan and the exercise carried out for demolition. I was honestly taken in by Vajpayees argument that it was an act of peoples spontaneous emotions and had no prior planning behind it. When Advani resigned from the Lok Sabha taking moral responsibility, I really believed that he was speaking the truth. I feel cheated. The alacrity with which he withdrew the resignation within 24 hours indicates the hypocrisy. And Vajpayee still plugs the line that it was a spontaneous reaction of the crowd. This is not true because half a million sewaks had assembled from different parts of the country, particularly Maharashtra, on December 6, 1992.

This confirms what Justice M.S. Liberahan had said in his report on the demolition. He has reiterated in a press interview: It stands beyond doubt that the events of the day were neither spontaneous nor unplanned, nor an unforeseen overflowing of the peoples emotion. Narendra Modi was part of LK Advanis rath yatra in support of the mandir.

Yet, I commend the meticulous job of piecing together the bits of information through sting operations spread over three years to bring to light the plan to destroy the masjid. The news portal, which has divulged the details, says that the demolition was an act of planned sabotage. It was meticulously planned, rehearsed and executed.

The other main party, the Congress, did not lag behind in communalising the environment. The party marshalled Shahi Imam Bukhari and other Muslim clerics behind it and did not care about the oft-repeated allegation against it that the Congress goes out of the way to appease the Muslims.

I may question the timing, practically on the eve of polling for the Lok Sabha elections, of the disclosure of the conspiracy behind the demolition of Babri Masjid at Ayodhya in 1992. I do not know how this has helped the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the polls during which it shed the development factor and came out in its true colours, the pro-Hindu stance. Its election manifesto is a bit accommodative on the mandir and seeks a solution within the constitutional framework. But the BJP remains adamant on Article 370, which is an integral part of the process of Jammu and Kashmirs accession to India. Secularism was not mentioned in the BJPs manifesto. The partys prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi (R), party president Rajnath Singh (C), and senior leaders Lal Krishna Advani and Sushma Swaraj at the release of its election manifesto. PTI The other main party, the Congress, did not lag behind in communalising the environment. The party marshalled Shahi Imam Bukhari and other Muslim clerics behind it and did not care about the oft-repeated allegation against it that the Congress goes out of the way to appease the Muslims. Yet, I commend the meticulous job of piecing together the bits of information through sting operations spread over three years to bring to light the plan to destroy the masjid. The news portal, which has divulged the details, says that the demolition was an act of planned sabotage. It was meticulously planned, rehearsed and executed. This confirms what Justice M.S. Liberahan had said in his report on the demolition. He has reiterated in a press interview: It stands beyond doubt that the events of the day were neither spontaneous nor unplanned, nor an unforeseen overflowing of the peoples emotion. Narendra Modi was part of LK Advanis rath yatra in support of the mandir. What has pained me is the fact that both Atal Behari Vajpayee and Advani knew about the proposed demolition  the plan and the exercise carried out for demolition. I was honestly taken in by Vajpayees argument that it was an act of peoples spontaneous emotions and had no prior planning behind it. When Advani resigned from the Lok Sabha taking moral responsibility, I really believed that he was speaking the truth. I feel cheated. The alacrity with which he withdrew the resignation within 24 hours indicates the hypocrisy. And Vajpayee still plugs the line that it was a spontaneous reaction of the crowd. This is not true because half a million sewaks had assembled from different parts of the country, particularly Maharashtra, on December 6, 1992. The Justice Liberahan report is an indictment of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has taken 22 years to complete the probe as it claims to have done. More than that it is an indictment of public figures that were part of the conspiracy but parade themselves as apostles of virtues. Other BJP leaders, some of whom I see on television channels, do not minimise the sin by arguing that no sting operation has been carried out in the case of corruption deals by the Congress. This can be done even belatedly. But the Sangh Parivar cannot be absolved of its nefarious activities. I knew all along that Narasimha Rao, the then Congress Prime Minister, had blessed the destruction. He had the Army deployed in the vicinity and was bound to use it when the Supreme Court had said the status quo should be maintained, that is, to protect the Babri Masjid. Not a single soldier was moved to defend the mosque, nor was there ever a proposal to surround the structure with tanks to ward off any attack. What socialist leader Madhu Limaye had told left me with no room for any doubt about Raos involvement. Limaye said that when the demolition began, Rao sat for puja. There were frantic calls from his colleagues who made an effort to reach out to him and ask him to take action against those who were engaged in destroying the mosque but he had instructed that he should not be disturbed. When the destruction was complete, Raos aide whispered into his ears that the process was complete. Rao finished his puja. The demolition was followed by communal riots, particularly in Mumbai. Rao invited some senior journalists to seek the medias help to normalise the situation. I was one of the invitees. I asked Rao how a small temple had come to be built overnight when the centre had taken over the administration after dismissing the state government ruled by the BJP. He answered that the temple would not be there for long. Twenty-two years have gone by since the demolition. I had reminded Rao of his assurance on several occasions when he was still in power. But no action has been taken despite my repeated writings. The small temple stands there even today and the talk to accommodate the Muslims by building a mosque next to the mandir is not heard anymore. I can understand and even appreciate the arguments of those who claim that it was the Ram janmabhoomi and not the Babri Masjid. But when lakhs of Ram sewaks gather there and even beat up a few Gandhiites who objected to violence, the dictum sought to be proved is that the majority community would have its way through peace, if possible, or by force, if necessary. The Babri Masjids destruction is a watershed in our countrys ethos of pluralism. The Muslim community began to tilt on the side of extremists since. Its faith in secular society was shaken and it went even to the extent of not protesting against the terrorists. If I were to trace militancy among the Muslims, I would find the demolition of Babri Masjid as the beginning. The community feels insecure, particularly at the prospect of Modi becoming the prime minister. All I can say is that India has been a multi-religious society for centuries and we have learnt to live that way. If Modi tries to undo the reality, he will find defiance all over. He may even jeopardise the countrys integrity. I wish the BJPs election manifesto had mentioned secularism once. The new converts to the BJP argue that when the party swears by the Constitution, it expresses its faith in secularism without spelling it out. I wish it were so because when the Babri Masjid was demolished it was done despite the Constitution.

As my involvement in running schools, a cultural centre and managing activities of our NGO grew, she lent her expertise to the administration. She was seen as a firebrand who would, on her scheduled visits, ask the most pointed questions to ensure that what was being claimed in terms of results was actually being delivered on the ground. An institution builder in the real sense of the word, Mrs Atma Ram left an indelible imprint and the city would do well in creating some a memorial for a woman who was way ahead of her times. She made significant changes in the way girls were taught and groomed at college. Her presence was so commanding that only a rare person would play truant in her company. It was easy to fall in line with what she said, pretty much the way I did, many summers ago when I made that first trip to her house, with a notebook and pen in hand. In her inimitable way, she taught me so much about life and yes, English expression too!

She was a regular at our cultural concerts, especially the ones in which leading Indian classical musicians. She could sing quite well herself. Surprisingly, while she could have always asked for special seats, often I would run into her in the audience. Clearly, she was not one to use clout to get special favours. An institution in herself, her stellar career spanned five decades in different official capacities. Over another three decades, she also contributed in honorary roles and helped to shape the educational landscape of Chandigarh and Punjab. Labelling her as an academician par excellence would not be doing justice because her contribution went beyond mere academics. Progressive, creative with her ideas and bold in executing them, she won the admiration not only of her students and staff but also government officials, bureaucrats and politicians. Her qualities won her the unflinching loyalty of those fortunate enough to work with her.

M y father was completely in awe of Mrs Kaushalya Atma Ram, the eminent educationist, who passed away recently. From the much-admired principal of two government colleges, she became the Director Public Instruction, Punjab. There were anecdotes about her as a disciplinarian and a strict administrator, one who did not mince words or pander to authority unless convinced. So intimidating was her persona that when I was summoned one morning by my father and instructed to go to her for lessons in expression and writing, to say I was terrified would be an understatement. But he was not the one to take no for an answer. I mustered whatever courage I could and went to her house. Imagine my surprise when I found that she was not just amiable and witty but also put the other person completely at ease. I honed my written skills, learnt to frame official letters, draft proposals, read between the lines and frame responses to the most obtuse comments in a non-threatening manner. She regaled me with stories of the 1960s and 1970s, of her students and her many trysts with the local administration. I was also privy to her dabbling in poetry and literature. Had she not been an educationist, she would have been a writer or a poet. She was a regular at our cultural concerts, especially the ones in which leading Indian classical musicians. She could sing quite well herself. Surprisingly, while she could have always asked for special seats, often I would run into her in the audience. Clearly, she was not one to use clout to get special favours. An institution in herself, her stellar career spanned five decades in different official capacities. Over another three decades, she also contributed in honorary roles and helped to shape the educational landscape of Chandigarh and Punjab. Labelling her as an academician par excellence would not be doing justice because her contribution went beyond mere academics. Progressive, creative with her ideas and bold in executing them, she won the admiration not only of her students and staff but also government officials, bureaucrats and politicians. Her qualities won her the unflinching loyalty of those fortunate enough to work with her. As my involvement in running schools, a cultural centre and managing activities of our NGO grew, she lent her expertise to the administration. She was seen as a firebrand who would, on her scheduled visits, ask the most pointed questions to ensure that what was being claimed in terms of results was actually being delivered on the ground. An institution builder in the real sense of the word, Mrs Atma Ram left an indelible imprint and the city would do well in creating some a memorial for a woman who was way ahead of her times. She made significant changes in the way girls were taught and groomed at college. Her presence was so commanding that only a rare person would play truant in her company. It was easy to fall in line with what she said, pretty much the way I did, many summers ago when I made that first trip to her house, with a notebook and pen in hand. In her inimitable way, she taught me so much about life and yes, English expression too!